ILIOWIZI 


. 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


"Couch  me  not/' 


THE 

WEIRD  ORIENT 


Jline 
Jftgsttc 


BY 

HENRY    ILIOWIZI 

Author  of  "In  the  Pale,"  "Jewish  Dreams 
and  Realities,"  etc. 


PHILADELPHIA 

HENRY   T.  COATES  AND   COMPANY 

1900 


Copyright  1899  by  HENRY  ILIOWIZI. 


All  rights  reserved. 


ENTERED  AT  STATIONERS'  HALL, 
LONDON. 


955 


PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE. 


IN  introducing  to  the  general  public  a  writer 
who  has  heretofore  been  known  chiefly 
among  the  people  of  his  own  race,  his  pub 
lishers  may  perhaps  be  permitted  to  say 
a  word.  Rabbi  Iliowizi  is  a  Hebrew  of  pure 
lineage,  the  son  of  a  zealous  member  of  the 
Chassidim,  a  Kabbalistic  sect  numbering  over 
half  a  million  members  in  Russia,  Roumania 
and  Gallicia,  but  rarely  met  with  in  this  coun 
try.  He  passed  his  infancy  and  boyhood  in 
the  Russian  provinces  of  Minsk  and  Moghileff, 
and  in  Roumania,  growing  to  manhood  and 
receiving  his  education  at  Frankfort-on-the- 
Main,  Berlin  and  Breslau,  where  he  qualified 
himself  for  a  theological  career.  After  six 
years  of  study  in  Germany,  he  spent  some 
four  years  more  perfecting  his  training  in 
modern  languages  and  in  Arabic  and  Hebrew 
in  London  and  Paris,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Anglo-Jewish  Association  and  the  Alliance 
Israelite  Universelle,  as  a  preparation  to  take 
charge  of  one  of  the  outlying  mission  stations 
maintained  by  these  affiliated  societies  in  the 
Orient,  where  they  support  some  fifty  schools 
for  the  benefit  of  their  oppressed  co-religionists. 
After  a  prolonged  service  in  Morocco,  engaged 


jvi3 14008 


iv  PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE. 

in  the  educational  work  of  the  two  societies, 
Mr.  Iliowizi  lived  for  a  year  at  Gibraltar,  and 
then  came  to  America  to  devote  himself  to  the 
ministry  of  the  Jewish  Church,  and  is  now  the 
spiritual  head  of  a  large  congregation  of  his 
own  people. 

Mr.  Iliowizi  has  hitherto  contributed  princi 
pally  to  the  literature  of  his  race,  being  known 
among  Jews  by  several  works  ;  most  widely, 
perhaps,  by  a  volume  of  stories  of  Russian  life, 
under  the  title  of  "In  the  Pale,"  recently 
published  by  the  Jewish  Publication  Society 
of  America  for  its  subscribers.  In  the  series 
of  Eastern  tales,  comprising  the  present  book, 
which  appeals  to  a  larger  audience,  he  has  the 
special  advantage,  not  only  of  a  lengthened 
residence  among  Eastern  peoples,  but  that  he 
is  himself  of  an  Oriental  race,  of  a  heredity 
highly  tinctured  by  the  tenets  of  one  of  its  most 
mystical  sects,  and  personally  is  of  a  strongly 
Semitic  type  of  mind,  tempered  by  the  matur 
ing  of  his  powers  in  the  clear  atmosphere  of  the 
New  World  intellectual  life.  He  has,  there 
fore, — or  ought  to  have, — exceptional  facilities 
for  interpreting  to  the  West  the  mind  and 
heart  of  the  East. 

Whoever  has  lived  long  in  the  Orient, — and 
Morocco  is  essentially  Eastern  in  its  atmos 
phere,  even  if  geographically  it  might  possibly 
be  otherwise  classed, — cannot  but  realize  the 
subtle  and  inexpressible  influence  that  so 
strongly  pervades  its  life,  and  which,  often 
as  it  has  been  spoken  of,  is  so  hard  for  the 
Occidental  mind  fully  to  understand  or  ap 
preciate.  It  is  the  "  call  of  the  East,"  as  Mr. 


PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE.  v 

Kipling    happily  puts    it,   and  of  which  his 
British  soldier  sings  in  such  realistic  fashion  : 

"  An'  I'm  learnin'  'ere  in  London  what  the  ten-year 

sodger  tells ; 
'  If  you've  'card  the  East  a-callin',  why  you  won't 

'eed  nothin'  else.' 
No !  you  won't  'eed  nothin'  else 
But  them  spicy  garlic  smells 

An*  the  sunshine  an'  the  palm  trees  an'  the  tinkly 
temple-bells!" 

The  mystery  of  the  great  desolate  desert 
stretches,  with  their  overpowering  solemnity 
of  deadly  silence,  has  from  time  immemorial 
exercised  a  most  powerful  influence  upon  the 
imagination  of  those  who  frequent  them  ;  and 
their  optical  illusions  are  often  so  curious  and 
so  startling  as  to  afford  easy  explanation  of 
the  legends  of  hidden  and  phantom  cities,  such 
as  are  told  here  and  elsewhere,  and  indeed  of 
much  else  beside.  Stories  similar  to  "  Shed- 
dad's  Palace  of  Irem,"  and  that  of  the  vanish 
ing  city  of  the  Peri  in  ' '  The  Croesus  of  Yemen, ' ' 
are  frequently  met  with. 

The  gloominess  of  the  mountain  regions,  es 
pecially  that  of  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula,  has  also 
had  a  profound  influence  in  giving  color  to  the 
legendary  lore  of  the  middle  Orient ;  and  this 
combination  of  desert  and  mountain  influences 
perhaps  largely  accounts  for  what  is  distinct 
ively  peculiar  in  the  mysticism  of  the  East, 
and  for  much  that  will  be  found  in  this  book. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


I.  THE  DOOM  OF  At  ZAMERI,     ...     17 

II.  SHEDDAD'S  PALACE  OF  IREM,       .      .     53 

ill.  THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  DAMAVANT,      .     89 

IV.  THE  GODS  IN  EXILE,        .      .      .      .119 

V.  KING  SOLOMON  AND  ASHMODAI,   .      .    161 

VI.  THE  CROESUS  OF  YEMEN,      .       .      .    i99 

VII.  THE  FATE  OF  ARZEMIA 253 

VIII.  THE  STUDENT  OF  TIMBUCTU,        .      .    287 
IX.  A  NIGHT  BY  THE  DEAD  SEA,    .       .      .327 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


BY  WILLIAM  SHERMAN  POTTS. 

PAGE 

1.  "Touch  me  not!"  (page  22)     Frontispiece 
II.  "Determined  to  penetrate  into  the  seem 
ingly  impenetrable  wonderland  of  the 
Dama-vant." 92 

III.  "Like  a  thunderbolt  striking  to  the  centre 

of  a  hurricane,  the  demon  shot  down. "  173 

IV.  "There  sprung,  like  Iris  from  the  clouds, 

a  smiling  Hebe."     .        .        .        .  323 


THE  WEIRD  ORIENT. 


THE  WEIRD  ORIENT. 


THE  nine  tales  which  follow  have  a 
history  which  is  itself  not  without 
interest.  The  materials  have  been 
accumulated  during  a  residence  of  many  years 
at  Tetuan,  Morocco,  varied  by  excursions  to 
places  in  the  interior  where  semi-barbarous 
life  may  be  seen  in  its  pristine  crudeness.  In 
Tetuan  I  had  somewhat  exceptional  opportuni 
ties  of  getting  into  the  heart  of  native  life  and 
thought,  and  I  am  under  obligations  also  for 
contributions  received  from  a  venerable  story 
teller  at  Tangier,  who  had  been  assistant 
librarian  at  the  Kairouin  of  Fez,  the  only  uni 
versity  of  the  Moorish  Empire.  The  tales 
themselves  have  been  for  centuries  floating 

(3) 


4  &l)e  ttkirft  QDrient. 

through  the  legendary  lore  which  plays  so 
large  a  part  in  the  intellectual  cloudland  of 
the  gorgeous  East ;  my  part  has  been  to  put 
them  into  English  dress,  with  scrupulous  ad 
herence  to  their  substance  and,  as  far  as  may 
be,  to  their  native  costume. 

Tetuan  is  a  typical  Oriental  town,  beautiful 
from  a  distance,  disappointing  at  a  closer  in 
spection,  but  not  devoid  of  that  classic  atmos 
phere  which  invests  ancient  cities  in  the  East 
with  a  spiritual  something  unfelt  in  modern 
centres  of  culture.  Situated  at  the  foot  of 
the  Beni  Hosmar,  a  bold  peak  of  the  northern 
branch  of  the  Atlas  range,  it  has  a  population 
of  about  twenty  thousand  souls,  is  enclosed  by 
a  dilapidated  wall,  boasts  of  some  fine  homes 
built  by  wealthy  Tetuani,  has  a  separate 
mellah  for  its  unfavored  Jews,  some  European 
dwellings  and  cultivated  gardens  for  foreign 
consuls,  a  large  unclean  square  as  a  market 
place,  chronically  infested  by  packs  of  mongrel 
dogs  fed  by  Moslem  women,  and  something  of 
an  official  residence  within  the  moss-capped 
walls  of  a  stronghold  spoken  of  as  the  Casbah. 
The  rest  is  covered  by  the  Moorish  quarter,  a 


tOdrft  QDnent.  5 


bewildering  labyrinth  of  unpaved,  unswept  al 
leys,  crooked  lanes,  the  white,  flat-roofed,  un- 
windowed  houses  often  meeting  each  other 
overhead,  thus  creating  dingy  tunnels  which 
are  utilized  as  bazaars,  with  wretched  holes  to 
right  and  left  reserved  for  sundry  wares  and 
offices  —  the  usual  conditions  of  Moslem  towns. 
Unattractive  as  such  a  conglomeration  of 
semi-barbarous  retreats  must  appear,  neither 
Pegasus  nor  the  muses  would  pass  them  with 
indifference.  As  the  descendants  of  the  Moors 
expelled  from  Hispania  by  their  Catholic  Maj 
esties,  the  Tetuani  show  a  degree  of  refine 
ment  unknown  elsewhere  in  Barbary,  and 
with  it  survives  a  taste  for  higher  things  of 
which  poetry  is  not  the  least.  Tetuan's  intel 
lectual  atmosphere  is  so  generally  recognized 
that  the  present  Emir-al-Mumemin  (sole  ruler 
of  the  true  faithful)  sent  his  heir  apparent, 
Hassan,  to  be  educated  at  the  Casbah  by  a  taleb 
chosen  from  the  local  aristocracy,  in  preference 
to  the  unfathomed  wisdom  stored  in  the  wise 
heads  of  the  Kairouin  at  Fez.  The  minstrel, 
the  fluent  story-teller,  the  poetic  historian, 
and  the  fine  performer  on  the  double-stringed 


6  &lje  toeirfr  ©rient. 

gimreh,  are  not  unfamiliar  figures  in  Tetuan, 
provided  one  knows  how  to  approach  them, 
which  is  not  so  hard  as  it  is  to  overcome  their 
reluctance  to  unbosom  themselves  before  the 
infidel.  Great  as  is  the  Moor's  cupidity,  it 
pales  before  his  abhorrence  of  the  foreign  in 
truder  who  presumes  to  pry  into  his  jeal 
ously  guarded  sanctuaries.  Touch  him  on  a 
point  concerning  his  nebulous  legends  and 
traditions  and,  like  the  turtle,  he  draws  in  his 
head,  and  that  is  the  last  you  will  see  of  him, 
unless  you  strike  the  sensitive  chord  of  na 
tional  pride  by  speaking  grandiloquently  of 
non-Mussulman  heroes  and  literary  triumphs. 
Even  then  Moslem  passiveness  proves  often  an 
immovable  inertia.  It  has  been  found  possible 
to  provoke  the  garrulity  of  the  taleb,  adool  and 
fukie,  respectively  representing  our  lawyer, 
notary,  and  man  of  letters  ;  but  there  are  two 
characters  in  Morocco  whom  no  whirlwind 
will  move  to  dispute  the  infidel's  claim  to  a 
superior  culture,  and  they  are  the  all-knowing 
kadi  and  the  emin,  the  judge  and  the  priest, 
both  deriving  their  unquestioned  authority 
from  al  Koran,  and  thus  cherishing  a  supreme 


tOdrfc  Orient. 


contempt  for  the  wisdom  of  the  faithless  in 
spired  by  the  cunning  devil.  The  idea  is  as 
old  as  Islam  that  what  the  Koran  reveals  not, 
Allah  alone  knows. 

After  many  rueful  failures  to  get  at  the 
sources  of  Barbary's  folklore,  the  author  of 
this  book  conceived  the  idea,  which  happily 
met  with  some  success,  of  creating  a  social 
focus  sufficiently  attractive  to  ensnare  unwary 
stragglers  of  infallible  Islamism,  such  as  itin 
erant  students,  beggars,  story-tellers  and  pil 
grims,  who,  being  strangers  in  the  place, 
might  be  induced  by  liberal  treatment  and  a 
little  policy  to  impart  some  glimpses  of  the 
precious  lore  so  dear  to  one  who  had  set  his 
heart  on  the  acquisition  of  so  promising  a 
treasure.  Did  the  Arabian  Nights  and  the 
other  works  we  know  exhaust  the  vast  re 
sources  of  the  Orient's  mysteries  ?  Without 
betraying  his  ultimate  purpose,  the  author 
called  a  meeting  of  the  foreign  residents,  all 
good  friends  or  acquaintances,  and  submitted 
the  scheme  of  opening  a  Casino  for  mutual  so 
ciability  and  the  reception  of  worthy  strangers, 
sometimes  of  high  rank,  who  not  infrequently 


8  ©Ije  toeirb  QDrient 

cross  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar  to  see  life  as  it 
must  have  been  in  the  patriarchal  age.  The 
suggestion  was  received  with  acclamation ; 
the  meeting,  nineteen  souls  in  all,  organized 
itself  into  a  body  of  subscribing  members  ; 
officers  were  elected,  rules  formulated,  and  a 
liberal  subscription  list  enabled  the  chairman 
to  proceed  at  once  to  carry  out  the  project, 
everyone  wondering  why  the  thing  had  never 
been  thought  of  before.  It  took  some  weeks 
to  perfect  matters,  when  the  pleasure-house 
was  opened  with  proper  ceremony.  The 
windows  of  the  commodious  building  looked 
on  the  market-place,  the  Casino  being  about 
a  hundred  paces  from  the  gate  of  the  Casbah, 
and  the  institution  soon  became  an  object  of 
talk  and  wonder,  it  being  the  first  of  its  kind 
in  the  tedious  annals  of  Tetuan. 

Only  a  few  days  after  the  opening  the 
members  experienced  the  undelightful  sur 
prise  of  finding  one  of  their  distinguished 
friends,  the  Spanish  Vice-consul,  a  stately 
hidalgo  of  high  lineage,  afflicted  by  the  thirst 
of  Tantalus,  with  a  hydrophobic  aversion  to 
water  as  the  proper  means  of  appeasing  it. 


toeirfc  (Orient. 


The  cavalier  could  neither  be  asked  to  resign 
nor  could  he  be  expelled,  without  creating  an 
unpleasant  sensation,  but  his  drunkenness 
threatened  the  very  life  of  the  resort.  What 
was  to  be  done  ?  A  secret  meeting  called  for 
the  purpose  of  dealing  with  the  problem  ended 
in  a  unanimous  sigh  of  despondency.  But 
help  was  near  at  hand.  Diepo,  the  caterer, 
who  realized  that  his  prospects  were  on  the 
brink  of  ruin,  devised  a  way  out  of  the  di 
lemma.  Under  the  pretext  that  the  annoy 
ing  pest  of  insects,  flying  and  creeping,  re 
quired  some  remedy,  the  shrewd  caterer  pre 
pared  a  substance  that  stuck  to  one  like  the 
Evil  One,  spread  it  freely  on  large  sheets  of 
brown  paper,  and  distributed  them  judiciously 
where  they  would  best  serve  his  purpose. 
Once  in  his  hazy  condition,  the  chivalrous 
Vice-consul  was  quick  in  satisfying  Diepo's 
most  sanguine  anticipations,  picking  up  by  a 
variety  of  zigzag  evolutions  almost  every 
sticker,  and  covering  himself  with  the  viscous 
stuff  from  head  to  foot,  until  the  stifled  giggle 
of  those  present  gave  way  to  roars  of  laughter. 
A  coarse  jellab  had  to  be  thrown  around  the 


io  &l)e      eirb  ODrient. 

frame  of  the  inebriate,  to  take  him  home 
without  exposure  to  the  ridicule  of  outsiders. 
If  the  incident  did  not  cure  the  disgraced  rep 
resentative  of  Spanish  chivalry  of  his  thirst,  it 
at  least  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  re 
turn  to  the  circle  he  had  scandalized  ;  and  as 
to  Diepo's  stratagem,  it  was  commended  as  a 
measure  devised  for  self-preservation. 

An  unexpected  triumph  for  the  Casino  was 
the  application  of  three  prominent  Moslems 
for  membership,  each  one,  in  days  bygone, 
having  been  attached  to  some  embassy  the 
Caliph  of  the  Lord  now  and  then  sends  to 
one  or  another  of  the  European  courts.  To 
the  manifold  diversions  afforded  by  the  insti 
tution  belonged  a  sagacious  parrot  who  aston 
ished  the  noble  Moors  by  receiving  them  with 
the  Mue^in's  cry :  "La  illaha,  il  Allah, 
Mohammed  Ressul  Allah!"  This  confession 
of  Islam,  that  there  is  no  God  but  God,  and 
that  Mohammed  is  His  Prophet,  would  have 
edified  the  Mussulmans,  had  not  the  frivolous 
bird  accompanied  his  exclamation  with  screams 
of  profane  laughter.  At  first  puzzled  by  the 
unaccountable  frivolity  of  the  bird,  the  most 


QDrisnt.  n 


ingenuous  of  the  Moslems  finally  solved  the 
riddle  by  recognizing  therein  an  expression  of 
felicity  the  creature  derived  from  uttering  the 
sacred  formula. 

Gratuitous  music  was  furnished  by  an  Italian 
who  blew  the  trombone  ;  by  a  French  teacher 
who  played  the  violin  ;  by  a  Hebrew  who 
gave  wind  to  a  pipe  of  reeds  ;  and  by  a  Span 
iard  who  harped  on  the  strings  of  a  colossal 
bass-viol.  In  course  of  a  few  months  the  mem 
bers  of  the  Casino  entertained  visitors  not 
alone  from  Europe  and  many  quarters  of  Bar- 
bary,  but  from  the  more  distant  Orient,  the 
most  of  them  coming  by  the  way  of  Tangier, 
sometimes  called  the  "white  city  of  the  dark 
continent."  But  nothing  advertised  and  digni 
fied  that  institution  more  than  the  standing 
offer  of  twenty-five  pesetas  to  him  who  should, 
upon  a  fixed  evening,  regale  its  members  with 
the  most  interesting  tale,  subject  to  the  critical 
verdict  of  three  judges,  the  decision  to  be  sus 
tained  or  rejected  by  a  majority  of  votes.  The 
tale  was  not  to  be  wholly  fictitious,  but  should 
either  turn  around  some  historic  event,  or  be 
based  on  some  popular  tradition  or  legend 


12  Stye  tDdrb  QDnent. 

current  in  the  lands  of  the  rising  sun.  In  a 
country  where,  thanks  to  nature's  bounty,  a 
peseta  is  sufficient  to  supply  a  numerous  family 
with  food  for  days,  the  prize  held  out  as  an 
inducement  proved  an  object  of  keen  competi 
tion.  Once  a  month  the  competitors  were 
given  the  opportunity  of  displaying  their  story 
telling  talents,  and  on  one  occasion  afukie  of 
Fez,  a  Jew  of  Yemen,  another  one  of  Jeru 
salem,  and  a  Parsee  of  Bombay,  claimed  the 
attention  of  the  interested  auditors,  in  their 
endeavors  to  secure  the  coveted  prize. 

Such  were  the  beginnings  of  this  work  ;  it 
contains  in  substance  all  the  tales  for  which 
prizes  were  awarded,  but  it  is  only  fair  to  state 
that  the  Parsee  was  the  one  to  whom  the 
author  is  mostly  indebted  for  the  mass  of  his 
material.  Yakoub  Malek  was  a  very  original 
eccentric,  of  a  nature  deep,  generous,  ardent 
and  visionary.  A  Parsee  by  birth,  Malek  ex 
changed  his  Zoroastrian  creed  for  Buddha's 
ideals,  only  to  show  a  later  preference  for 
Islam.  Driven  by  a  restless  temperament, 
he  traversed  Asia  throughout  its  length  and 
breadth,  and  crossed  the  whole  north  of  Africa 


&l)e  tUeirft  (Orient.  13 

for  the  avowed  purpose  of  seeking  an  audience 
with  the  Pope  in  Rome,  his  object  being  to  be 
initiated  into  the  mystery  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  Like  Marco  Polo,  Malek  was  the 
most  observing  of  travellers,  and  his  adven 
tures  embraced  encounters  with  monstrous 
brutes,  communion  with  spirits  in  the  desert 
of  Gobi,  hairbreadth  escapes  from  cyclonic 
storms,  shipwrecks,  venomous  reptiles,  canni 
bals  and  banditti.  In  the  Western  hemisphere 
Malek  would  pass  for  a  transcendental  spiritual 
ist,  claiming,  as  he  did,  to  hold  intercourse  with 
the  spirits  of  his  parents,  especially  with  that 
of  his  father.  One  dark  evening  he  startled 
his  auditors  by  producing  a  human  finger, 
all  dried  and  shrivelled.  He  had  taken  it  off 
stealthily  from  the  right  hand  of  his  father's 
dead  body,  after  the  vultures  had  denuded  it 
of  flesh,  it  being  the  religious  custom  of  the 
Parsees  to  expose  their  dead  to  the  voracity 
of  that  carrion  bird,  for  which  purpose,  as  is 
well  known,  their  " towers  of  silence"  are 
constructed.  That  singular  rite  has  its  origin 
in  the  Zoroastrian  idea  that  earth  is  holy  and 
must  not  be  polluted  by  the  decay  of  human 


14  ®f)£  tUsirb  (Orient. 

flesh. — "  As  often  as  I  long  to  see  my  father, 
1  hold  this  bone  closed  in  my  right  hand  and 
shut  my  eyes,  when  lo  !  I  see  him  rise  from 
the  realms  of  the  invisible,  ready  to  commune 
with  me  in  whispers  audible  to  my  soul,'7 
asserted  the  Oriental  with  a  mystic  glow  in 
his  eye. 

His  aesthetic  quality  betrayed  itself  in  his 
glowing  descriptions  of  Balbec  and  Tadmor,  of 
the  prodigious  monuments  of  Egypt,  and  the 
temples  and  palaces  of  India.  Of  his  vivid 
power  to  portray  what  his  memory  retained, 
or  his  imagination  conceived,  the  subjoined 
rhapsody,  taken  as  he  gave  it,  may  convey 
an  idea.  "  I  see  him  there,  Shah  Jahdn,  in 
Jahna'ha'd,  the  Delhi  of  his  fiat,  exalted  on 
his  throne  of  thrones,  a  blaze  of  jewelled 
splendors,  set  in  mockery  of  the  peacock's 
feathers,  but  fairer  than  that  fairest  bird,  the 
Moghul's  emblem  of  star-dotted  majesty. 
Great  Akbar's  Empire  is  his,  and  India's 
wealth. — Poor  Moghul !  From  Agra's  lovelier 
court,  thy  favored  home,  the  courier  speeds  to 
drown  thy  happiness  in  gloom.  She  is  no 
more  who  owned  thy  heart.  Thy  sweetest 


Clje  ttJeirfc  (Orient.  15 

Empress,  Mumtaza  Mahal,  the  Orient's  loveli 
ness  and  grace,  succumbed  to  throes  which 
mothers  know.  The  babe  survived  her. 
Delhi  mourns.  Shah  Jahdn  hurries  to  his 
seat  of  woe.  How  dismal  looks  the  city  of 
imperial  gardens  !  How  sepulchral  its  palace 
of  grandeurs  nowhere  seen,  never  heard  of, 
vast  and  noble,  too  grand  for  man,  not  unfit 
for  gods  ! — Death  darkens  the  world,  darkens 
Shah  JahaVs  glorious  throne-hall.  Here  his 
incomparable  mate  lies  cold  in  death,  crowned 
and  sceptred,  as  though  called  to  rule  in  the 
nether  world,  a  queen  among  the  dead.  All 
mourn  and  weep,  but  the  true  sorrow  is  thine, 
poor  Jahdn,  with  melancholy  as  thy  only 
friend,  thy  hope  the  grave.  That  wondrous 
sepulchre  of  thine,  reared  to  crown  thy  love  ; 
there  it  stands,  thy  resting-place  and  hers,  the 
Taj,  the  monumental  blossom  of  the  world, 
beyond  expression  beautiful." 

Yakoub  Malek  was  a  mystic  adventurer, 
and  his  narrative  mystified  his  audience.  But 
for  that  delightful  dreamer  this  book  would 
never  have  seen  light.  His  passing  out  of 
sight,  with  an  echo  that  rings  in  the  ear  for- 


1 6  ®l)e  tDeirfc  QDrieut. 

ever,  charmed  by  a  voice  that  enchanted  the 
soul,  suggests  the  career  of  those  prophetic 
wizards  who,  having  stirred  the  world  with  the 
fire  of  their  breath,  departed  this  life,  leaving 
song  and  prophecy  to  vibrate  in  the  air  to  the 
end  of  time.  Should  that  picturesque  wanderer 
ever  come  across  these  pages,  he  will  have  to 
forgive  the  liberties  the  author  has  taken  with 
his  rhapsodic  style  not  less  than  with  the 
version  in  certain  parts  of  his  narrative.  Not 
everything  the  dreamy  Orient  is  ready  to 
accept  will  meet  with  equal  credence,  or  even 
with  tolerance,  in  the  sobered  Occident.  Yet 
enough  has  been  retained  in  these  tales  to 
draw  the  reader  from  his  realistic  surroundings 
into  those  weird  realms  where,  unrestrained  by 
the  laws  of  sublunar  existence  and  the  limita 
tions  of  mortality,  the  spirit  is  allowed  to  roam 
in  the  vast,  unencumbered  by  matter,  unhin 
dered  by  time  and  space. 

HENRY  ILIOWIZI. 

PHILADELPHIA,  APRIL,  1900. 


THE  DOOM  OF  AL  ZAMERI. 


THE  DOOM  OF  AL  ZAMERI. 


N'OTHING  is  known  in  nature  which, 
in  awful  impressiveness,  compares 
with  the  overpowering  scenery  for- 
ever  associated  with  God's  revelation  to  man. 
That  arm  of  the  Indian  Ocean  called  the  Red 
Sea  bifurcates  into  the  westerly  gulf  of  Suez 
and  the  easterly  one  of  Akabah,  and  the  trian 
gular  peninsula  thus  formed  embraces  the 
region  that  bears  the  name  of  the  sky-conse 
crated  Mount  Sinai.  He  who,  from  an  over 
topping  height,  once  surveys  those  prodigies 
of  this  globe's  eternal  framework,  pile  on  pile, 
varied  by  solitary  peaks  raising  their  heads 
above  the  clouds,  amidst  a  confusion  of  innum 
erable  gorges,  wadys  and  ravines,  the  red  of  the 
stupendous  mass  interspersed  with  porphyry 

(  19) 


2o  ©Ije  tttdrfc  QDrient. 

and  greenstone,  will,  apart  from  their  spiritual 
reminiscences,  bear  the  impression  to  the 
end  of  his  days  that  he  has  been  in  the  very 
heart  of  creative  omnipotence.  About  the 
entire  system  there  is  such  a  ghostly  air, 
such  a  terrific  frown,  as  is  recalled  by  no  other 
chain  of  crests  and  cliffs,  however  bold  or  life- 
deserted.  If  the  bleaker  rocks  that  encom 
pass  the  basin  of  the  Dead  Sea  are  more 
deterring,  those  of  Horeb  are  of  a  thrilling 
sublimity ;  and  if  this  is  true  in  broad  daylight, 
night  invests  them  with  an  inexpressible  mystic 
awe,  intensified  by  an  inexplicable  rumbling 
and  roaring  not  unlike  distant  thunder.  But 
all  other  feelings  are  merged  in  the  one  of 
terror  when,  as  it  sometimes  happens,  a  heavy 
thunderstorm  breaks  over  the  wilderness  of 
Sinai.  Rendered  impervious  by  a  rarely  dis 
turbed  aridity,  the  barren  rocks  retain  little 
more  water  than  would  the  glazed  incline  of  a 
pyramid,  so  that  the  mountain  torrents  rush 
down  with  cyclonic  impetuosity,  uprooting 
trees  and  sweeping  off  settlements,  with  no 
trace  left  of  what  man  and  nature  combine  to 
produce. 


Stye  tDeirfc  QDrient.  21 

It  was  in  one  of  those  spasmodic  storms  that, 
in  the  year  1185  after  Mohammed's  flight  from 
Mecca,  a  muffled  figure  moved  cautiously  in  the 
heart  of  a  cloudburst  which  was  accompanied 
by  blinding  flashes  of  lightning  and  such  thun 
derbolts  as  shook  the  very  bedrock  of  the 
mountainous  desolation.  The  Bedouin's  watch- 
fires,  nightly  seen  all  along  the  gentler  acclivi 
ties,  vanished  before  the  elemental  fury  ;  and 
though  the  plain  of  al-Rahe  opened  before  him, 
the  lonely  wanderer  turned  his  face  toward 
Jebel  Musa,  or  Mount  of  Moses,  betraying  his 
anxiety  to  remain  unrecognized.  Wind  and 
rain  forced  the  man  to  seek  shelter  somewhere, 
but  he  seemed  to  prefer  a  dark  hollow  to  the 
sure  hospitality  of  the  Arab's  tent.  From  the 
heights  the  torrents  came  roaring  like  water 
falls,  carrying  along  piled  up  masses  of  up 
rooted  tamarisks,  palm-trees,  struggling  sheep 
and  goats  ;  even  bowlders  were  swept  down 
like  pebbles. 

While  stopping  for  a  moment,  irresolute  as 
to  the  direction  he  should  take,  the  muffled 
figure  discerned  a  human  form  stranger  than 
his  own,  whelmed  by  the  flood  and  on  the 


22  Clje  tDeirft  (Orient. 

point  of  being  either  engulfed  or  crushed  to 
death  by  the  wreck-encumbered  torrent.  With 
a  rush  which  endangered  his  life,  the  myste 
rious  wanderer  caught  hold  of  the  forlorn  vic 
tim,  tearing  him  out  of  the  destructive  tide, 
and  as  it  happened  landing  him  near  a  cave 
which  he  had  not  before  seen.  "  Touch  me 
not!"  cried  the  rescued  creature  in  a  voice 
that  startled  his  preserver.  Yet  compared 
with  the  rest  of  his  individuality,  the  voice 
was  the  least  appalling  of  his  features.  There 
stood  a  bare-headed  being,  bent  with  age,  pale 
as  a  ghost,  lean  as  starvation,  wrinkled  as  a 
shriveled  hag,  shaggy  as  a  bear,  his  beard 
descending  to  his  knees,  and  his  hair  to  his 
waist.  Death  stared  from  his  eyes,  misery 
from  his  face  ;  in  all  an  image  of  hopelessness, 
tottering  toward  the  grave.  Barely  strong 
enough  to  drag  his  limbs,  the  wretch  waddled 
into  the  rayless  hole,  whining  and  groaning. 

The  weather's  inclemency  would  have 
hardly  induced  the  other  to  divide  the  cave 
with  one  whose  aspect  suggested  the  tenant 
of  the  graveyard,  but  the  tramp  of  approaching 
horses  left  no  time  for  reflection.  Like  a 


ttteirfc  (Orient,  23 


shadow  the  muffled  figure  disappeared  just  in 
time  to  escape  the  notice  of  two  Mamlooks  on 
horses,  who,  perceiving  the  hole,  drew  in  the 
reins  with  an  oath  :  "  Allah  tear  the  devil  !  — 
If  it  were  not  for  my  poor  horse  I  would  crawl 
into  that  black  pit  to  get  out  of  this  infernal 
tempest.  —  See  this  cataract  !  Why,  this  beats 
the  Nile  !  —  And  the  hawk  we  are  looking  for 
may  as  well  be  leagues  out  of  this  wilderness 
as  within  it.  If  we  do  not  hurry  to  Wady- 
Feiran,  the  fever  will  settle  in  my  belly.  I 
feel  cold  about  the  heart,"  said  one  of  the 
horsemen. 

"  Give  up  the  thousand  purses  set  on  Ali 
Bey's  head  ?"  asked  his  fellow. 

"  Give  up  the  chase  of  the  devil  !  —  The 
slave-Sultan  in  not  within  these  black  reaches, 
I  say,  and  we  are  fools  to  follow  our  noses 
until  the  breath  is  out  of  our  stomachs/' 
answered  the  other  impatiently. 

A  red  zigzag  flash  tore  the  clouds  ;  the  crash 
threw  the  horses  on  their  haunches.  Had  not 
the  astounded  Mamlooks  scampered  off  like 
the  wind,  the  lightning  would  have  revealed 
to  them  the  object  of  their  hunt,  Egypt's 


24  $i)*  toeirfc  QDrient. 

celebrated  Sheykh  el-Beled,  a  title  tantamount 
to  the  power  and  dignity  of  Caliph.  Such 
was  Ali  Bey  who,  at  the  close  of  a  career  of 
adventure  and  romance,  was  a  fugitive  in  the 
wilds,  with  a  price  set  by  his  enemies  upon 
his  head. 

"  The  bloodhounds  have  lost  the  spoor  of  the 
game,  and  if  my  messengers  reach  Acre  safely, 
my  friend  Daher  will  be  out  in  force  ;  but  where 
hide  till  then  ?"  thought  Ali  Bey,  and  pro 
ceeded  to  close  up  the  entrance  to  his  retreat 
by  a  pile  of  rubbish  near  at  hand,  darkness 
favoring  the  operation. 

"  Unless  there  are  snakes  in  this  hole,  I 
shall  have  an  hour's  rest,"  said  Ali  to  himself, 
having  completed  the  hiding  wall.  A  moaning 
ululation  in  the  dark  reminded  him  of  the  other 
presence  he  had  enclosed  with  himself,  and 
his  alarm  was  not  lessened  by  the  sudden 
glimmer  of  a  something  which  broke  the  gloom 
of  the  den.  Coming  as  it  did  from  the  deep 
of  the  hollow,  it  could  not  be  mistaken  for  a 
flare  of  lightning  from  without.  Another 
glimmer  left  no  doubt  as  to  its  source. 

Ali  Bey  was  not  a  man  to  quail  before  any- 


Orient.  25 


thing  another  man  could  face  ;  but  here  was 
a  phenomenon  to  stop  the  pulsation  of  the 
stoutest  heart.  A  burning  jewel,  not  in  the 
palsied  hand  of  a  decrepit  dotard,  but  in  the 
hold  of  one  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  who 
resembled  the  other  as  closely  as  a  heifer  does 
its  dam.  Who  was  he  ?  A  son  of  the  former  ? 
Or  had  there  occurred  the  miracle  of  instan 
taneous  rejuvenescence?  Or  was  it  Satan 
bent  on  some  diabolical  performance?  —  "  Man 
or  demon,  good  or  evil  power,  whoever  thou 
art,  I  demand  of  thee  in  Allah's  name  to  unfold 
thy  mystery  to  me.  Art  thou  he  whom  I 
saved  from  the  fury  of  the  elements  ?  He  was 
nearer  a  hundred  than  thirty  years  ;  nearer 
death  than  life.  Thou  lookest  like  him,  but 
couldst  be  his  grandchild  as  to  age  and  vigor. 
Art  thou  and  he  the  same  ?  Or  art  thou  an 
illusion,  —  peradventure  the  spirit  of  this  moun 
tain  ?  If  thou  art  a  spirit,  thou  knowest  who 
I  am  ;  if  thou  art  human  I  charge  thee  to  speak 
to  Ali  Bey,  the  Sheykh  el-Beled  of  Egypt,  who 
is  waiting  for  assistance  to  defeat  the  con 
spiracies  of  his  enemies,"  spoke  Ali  with  the 
firmness  of  despair. 


26  (El)e  toeirb  ODrient. 

"  Sheykh  el-Beled,"  answered  the  one 
spoken  to  in  a  tone  as  changed  as  his  form, 
"there  is  less  of  spirit  in  me  than  in  thee,  yet 
am  I  less  human  than  man  ever  was,  deathless 
yet  mortal,  tossed  about  on  the  ocean  of  time 
from  age  to  age,  century  to  century,  cycle  to 
cycle,  millennium  to  millennium;  denied  the 
peace  of  soul,  the  comfort  of  hope,  the  bless 
ing  of  prayer,  the  nepenthe  of  oblivion,  yea, 
the  rest  of  the  grave.  Tremble  not  at  the 
sound  of  my  name.  I  am  Al  Zameri,  the  ac 
cursed  roamer  of  the  times,  doomed  since  the 
making  of  the  golden  calf  to  begin,  rejuvenated 
after  a  lapse  of  every  hundred  years,  anew 
my  unblest  career, — homeless,  godless,  hope 
less,  shunned,  feared  and  hated  !" 

"Al  Zameri !"  ejaculated  Ali,  who  had 
moved  some  steps  backward  horrified. 

"That  is  my  name;  credulity  couples  it 
with  sin,  greed,  famine,  war,  inundations, 
hurricanes  and  pestilence.  While  thou  art 
within  the  reach  of  my  breath,  warned  by 
instinct,  no  man  will  do  thee  harm,"  promised 
the  wretched  wanderer. 

"  Allah  confound  the  devil  ! — Thou  wouldst 


toeirfc  QDrittU.  27 


have  perished  in  the  flood  if  I  had  not  rescued 
thee  ;  there  must  be  a  hidden  purpose  in  the 
accident  of  our  meeting.  Born  a  slave,  destiny 
has  given  me  the  power  to  defy  and  defeat 
the  Caliph  of  Islam.  My  sword  has  made  me 
sole  ruler  over  the  empire  on  the  banks  of  the 
Nile.  In  open  battle  I  fear  no  foe  ;  it  is  con 
spiracy  and  the  assassin's  dagger  that  I  am 
fleeing,  and  thy  thwarting  my  pathway,  or 
my  thwarting  thine,  means  something  to  me, 
Al  Zameri.  I  am  in  the  hand  of  Allah,  the 
most  merciful.  —  But  speak,  thou  man  of  im 
mortal  woe,  how  didst  thou  provoke  the  anger 
of  thy  people's  God  ?  Why  was  the  golden 
idol  fashioned  ?  Why  by  thee  ?  What  has 
been  thy  experience  since  ?  —  For  few  are  the 
Prophet's  words  in  his  reference  to  thy  trans 
gression  in  the  Koran,"  resumed  Ali,  making 
the  best  of  his  unique  acquaintance. 

"Sheykh  el-Beled,  thy  kindness,  not  thy 
service,  requires  my  acknowledgment.  Thy 
succor  was  wasted  on  a  man  whom  perdition 
would  not  have.  For  three  thousand  years 
death  shuns  me  as  ruthlessly  as  I  long  to  hug  it. 
My  tale  is  a  nightmare  of  three  millenniums, 


28  (Elje  tMrfc  QDrient. 

taking  me  back  to  ancient  Egypt,  where  I,  a 
Hebrew,  was  born  into  abject  slavery.  My 
hot  blood  resented  the  taskmaster's  rod.  In  a 
moment  of  rage  I  struck  back  one  of  my 
tormentors,  blow  for  blow,  and  was  with  other 
rebels  doomed  to  dig  in  one  of  Pharaoh's  copper 
mines  on  the  coast  of  Akabah  in  the  valley  of 
Semud.  Here  many  of  the  Egyptian  idols  were 
fashioned,  and  here  I  learned  the  secret  of  the 
priests,  who  caused  metallic  forms  to  utter 
sound,  to  articulate  oracular  speech.  Certain 
instruments  were  skilfully  inserted  into  the 
interior  of  the  idol,  and  the  priest  manipulated 
them  to  the  great  wonderment  of  the  populace, 
who  lay  prostrate  before  their  all-knowing, 
warning  or  blessing  gods.  The  fraud  was 
guarded  by  the  loss  of  the  tongue  that  be 
trayed  it. 

"  I  was  young  and  strong  when  the  joyous 
tidings  penetrated  our  penal  colony,  that  a 
man  of  God  had  afflicted  Egypt  with  plague 
after  plague,  insisting  that  the  Israelites  be 
freed  from  bondage,  and  we  soon  read  Egypt's 
doom  in  the  face  of  our  taskmaster.  We  con 
spired,  made  a  desperate  break  for  liberty, 


(Zlfje  CDeirfc  (Orient.  29 

and  marked  our  track  with  the  blood  of  those 
who  offered  resistance.  Love  for  parents  long 
missed  impelled  me  to  disdain  danger.  Dis 
guised  as  an  Egyptian,  I  was  determined  to 
steal  into  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs,  when  one 
night  my  progress  was  stopped  by  a  manifesta 
tion  in  the  desert,  which  filled  me  with  con 
sternation.  A  pillar  of  lurid  flame,  having  its 
base  on  earth,  advanced  eastward  with  a 
rotatory  motion,  its  upper  end  obeying  a  force 
among  the  stars.  It  was  a  glowing  meteor, 
enormous  in  volume,  endless  in  height,  and 
terrible  to  behold,  setting  earth  and  heaven 
on  fire,  and  bathing  the  desert  in  fearful 
glory.  As  I  hurried  to  get  out  of  the  pillar's 
reach,  lest  I  be  consumed,  I  fell  in  with  the 
vanguard  of  my  liberated  brethren  in  the 
rear  of  their  fiery  guide.  What  I  saw  and 
heard  thrilled  me  with  awe.  A  power  greater 
than  Osiris  lowered  Egypt  to  the  dust,  and 
that  was  the  God  of  my  people.  My  father 
was  no  more  ;  I  embraced  my  aged  mother 
and  one  surviving  sister,  and  we  wept  for 
joy. 

"Before  I  had  been  an  hour  in  the  great 


30  &\)t  tPdrfc  ODrient 

camp,  which  extended  over  many  miles,  the 
cry  ran  from  lip  to  lip,  *  We  are  pursued  !  The 
Egyptians  are  at  our  heels  !'  Terror  and  con 
fusion  seized  the  enormous  multitude,  men, 
women  and  children  acting  like  maniacs,  while 
a  throng  of  lusty  fellows,  myself  among  them, 
pressed  on  to  see  what  the  Man  of  God  was 
going  to  do.  We  found  him  in  company  of 
Aaron  and  Hur,  his  countenance  beaming,  as 
though  it  had  concentrated  the  blaze  of  the 
flaming  pillar  to  reflect  it  in  a  milder  beam. 
He  was  Moses,  the  son  of  Amram.  In  his 
hand  a  staff,  his  gray  beard  and  curly  locks 
setting  off  a  face  of  manly  firmness,  tem 
pered  by  feminine  grace  and  a  visionary 
dreaminess,  his  eyes  turned  fixedly  where  the 
top  of  the  fire-pillar  lost  itself  in  azure.  As 
if  in  compliance  with  his  tacit  prayer,  the 
prodigious  beam  swerved  from  its  forward 
course,  wheeled  backward  to  the  right,  and 
thus  transferred  its  base  from  the  front  of  the 
moving  camp  to  its  rear,  interposing  its  volume 
between  the  pursuer  and  the  pursued.  It  was 
the  second  watch  of  the  night ;  we  were  within 
a  short  hour  of  the  Yam-Mitzrayim,  the  Egyp- 


®t)e  tDeird  ODrient.  31 

tian  Sea,*  and  a  dense  fog  left  us  in  doubt  as 
to  the  distance  of  the  enemy  behind  us.  The 
suspense  was  unbearable,  and  Moses  was  be 
sieged  by  the  rebellious  and  the  craven,  who 
rent  the  air  with  reproaches  and  appeals. 
He  spoke  a  few  words  of  encouragement, 
asking  the  people  to  faithfully  await  the  sal 
vation  of  the  Lord,  but  his  voice  was  drowned 
in  the  vociferation  of  the  threatening  crowd. 

"  At  a  hint  from  Aaron  five  thousand  armed 
men  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  threw  themselves 
between  the  great  leader  and  the  clamoring 
mob.  It  was  a  critical  moment.  The  un 
daunted  chief  spread  out  his  hands  in  prayer. 

"The  third  watch  of  the  night  came  with  a 
freezing  gale  ;  it  raised  the  fog  and  revealed  a 
sea  lashed  by  the  fury  of  the  growing  tempest. 
It  was  dawn  when  the  leader,  inspired  from 
On  High,  struck  the  flood  with  his  staff.  The 
waters  rose  high,  broke,  scattered  in  dust, 
rose  again,  tumbled,  divided  up,  and  froze, 
leaving  a  broad  highway  dry  as  the  shore. 
With  his  brother  the  leader  entered  the  depth 

*  The  Red  Sea,  among  the  Hebrews,  was  "  the  Sea 
of  Egypt." 


32  (£!)$  ttJeirfc  (Orient 

followed  by  the  people,  till  the  whole  multi 
tude  found  themselves  between  the  icy  walls, 
emerging  on  the  opposite  shore  happy  and 
jubilant. 

"  Just  now  the  blush  of  morning  in  the  east 
was  eclipsed  by  a  wave  of  effulgence  west  of 
the  Sea  of  Egypt,  and  as  we  turned  our  eyes 
thither  we  were  amazed  to  behold  the  burning 
pillar  replaced  by  a  sun-crowned  power  that  il 
lumined  the  heavens  with  his  dazzling  panoply 
and  his  sword  of  many  flames.  That  presence 
sealed  the  doom  of  the  Egyptians.  In  their  im 
petuous  onward  rush  they  plunged  into  the 
jaws  of  death.  The  miraculous  road  was  not 
meant  to  give  them  passage ;  and  no  sooner 
were  they  in  the  heart  of  the  dry  abyss  than, 
by  a  touch  of  the  leader's  staff,  the  frozen 
walls,  melted  by  the  sun-crowned  power,  gave 
way  to  the  devouring  sea,  burying  Egypt's 
mighty  army.  The  air  shivered  with  the 
multitudinous  shout  of  joy  sent  up  by  our 
myriads  of  grateful  fugitives.  Song,  dance 
and  praise  commemorated  the  great  event, 
to  be  shortly  followed  by  one  greater  than 
anything  I  know  of  in  the  annals  of  man. 


QDricnt.  33 

"  Ah,  let  me  come  to  the  cause  of  my  doom  ! 
What  happened  between  the  crossing  of  the 
Red  Sea  and  the  Day  of  Revelation  is  on 
record,  but  eternity  will  not  efface  the  picture 
burned  into  my  memory  of  what  I  have,  thou 
sands  of  years  ago,  witnessed  in  this  wilder 
ness  of  Zin. 

"  After  a  short  encampment  hereabout,  the 
leader,  he  the  chief  of  chiefs,  made  it  known 
that  in  three  days  the  Majesty  Divine  would 
reveal  Himself  and  His  truth  on  the  top  of 
Sinai,  the  interval  to  be  spent  in  purifying 
preparations. 

"  As  though  all  the  earthquakes  and  thunders 
of  the  ages  were  to  spend  their  furious  energy 
within  the  space  of  one  daybreak,  a  convulsed 
earth  and  a  bursting  firmament  roused  a  terri 
fied  people  from  their  sleep,  summoning  them 
to  gather  at  the  foot  of  the  fire-belching,  quak 
ing,  night-shrouded  mountain,  there  to  receive 
the  first  commandments  of  the  Torah,  the 
Law  of  the  world.  They  obeyed  the  sum 
mons,  but  succumbed  to  the  supernatural 
manifestations.  Himself  unseen,  the  voice  of 
the  leader  was  heard  from  the  thick  of  the 
3 


34  ®f)£  tOeirfc  QDrient 

clouds,  communing  with  Omnipotence,  the 
blasts  of  mighty  trumpets  intermingling  with 
the  bellowing,  rumbling  and  growling  of  the 
roused  elements.  Suddenly  a  profound  silence 
superseded  the  universal  agitation.  Clearly 
stood  out  the  apex  of  the  mountain,  clear 
spread  the  horizon  ;  and  ear,  heart  and  soul 
were  entranced  by  the  ineffable  melody  of 
utterance  which  came  floating  from  the  empy 
rean.  Like  the  symphony  of  an  angelic 
chorus,  the  Ten  Commandments  vibrated 
throughout  the  ethereal  spaces,  reclaiming 
the  people  from  their  torpor,  to  be  overawed 
by  a  wonder  exceeding  anything  they  had 
yet  seen.  With  a  background  of  azure, 
and  the  three  summits  of  the  Sinaitic  range 
as  base,  there  spread  in  the  clear  infinite 
blue  the  likeness  of  inexpressible  Majesty 
in  the  transcendental  shape  of  a  sovereign, 
crowned  with  supernal  glory, — compassion  and 
benign  grace  radiating  from  His  dimly  discerni 
ble  features  ;  in  His  hand  an  open  scroll,  cov 
ering  half  the  firmament,  and  showing  the 
Decalogue  in  sunny  splendor,  each  letter 
proving  but  the  reflex  of  a  yet  grander  copy 


tUeirfc  QDricnt.  35 


visibly  set  in  stars  far  back   in  the   deepest 
heavens. 

"  A  season  of  tumultuous  rejoicing  followed 
the  closing  of  that  soul-thrilling  scene,  and  the 
emancipated  slaves  abandoned  themselves  to 
indulgences  bordering  on  license.  In  the  whirl 
of  excitement  nobody  noticed  the  absence  of 
the  venerated  prophet,  who  had  not  been  seen 
nor  heard  from  since  the  Day  of  Revelation, 
and  his  family  and  closest  associates  were  as 
ignorant  of  his  whereabouts  as  the  rest  of  the 
people.  But  when  a  whole  month  had  passed 
by  without  a  token  of  the  prophet's  being  or 
doing,  the  craven-hearted  mass  took  umbrage, 
fearing  they  had  been  deserted  both  by  Moses 
and  his  God.  Aaron  was  called  upon  to  allay 
their  apprehensions,  but  he  proved  unequal  to 
the  exigency.  Pressed  to  supply  them  with 
a  power  to  worship,  and  somebody  to  lead 
them,  instead  of  bidding  them  to  have  patience 
and  wait,  in  a  moment  of  weakness  he  yielded, 
suggesting  that  all  the  golden  ornaments  of 
the  women  be  delivered  to  him,  that  he  might 
fashion  for  them  a  god.  If  the  High-priest 
hoped  that  the  women  would  not  sacrifice  their 


36  €!je  tDeiib  (Orient. 

jewelry,  he  was  soon  undeceived.  And  I  was 
at  hand  to  lure  him  into  the  most  heinous  of 
human  transgressions. 

"  Herein  centres  the  enormity  of  my  guilt. 
Aaron  could  have  never  fulfilled  his  promise 
had  not  an  evil  spirit  prompted  me  to  offer  him 
my  service  in  moulding  for  him  a  golden  calf 
after  the  pattern  of  Egypt's  idolatry.  Doubt 
ing  my  ability  to  materialize  what  I  proposed, 
he  gave  his  assent,  and  my  experience  in 
metal  work  enabled  me  to  produce  a  golden 
calf  with  the  trick  of  articulating  words. 

"  When  the  people  saw  the  image  and  heard 
it  declare  itself  their  god,  they  went  wild  with 
delight,  Aaron  himself  catching  the  infection. 
An  altar  was  built,  a  feast  proclaimed,  sacri 
fices  offered,  and  the  masses  delivered  them 
selves  up  to  orgies. 

"  The  riot  of  debauch  was  broken  up  by  the 
unexpected  arrival  of  the  prophet.  With  his 
countenance  shining  like  the  sun,  he  rushed 
down  from  the  mountain,  dropped  and  shat 
tered  the  tablets,  which  bore  the  Command 
ments  he  had  received  from  the  hand  of  God, 
and  reduced  the  idol  to  powder  which  he 


(Orient.  37 

scattered  to  the  winds.  Aaron  exonerated 
himself  by  pointing  to  the  madness  of  the 
people,  and  to  me  as  the  real  culprit. — '  This 
Azazel  has  brought  the  great  sin  on  the  head 
of  the  people,'  cried  he,  his  eye  fixed  in  fierce 
hatred  on  my  detested  self.  What  could  I 
advance  in  extenuation  of  my  devilish  author 
ship  ? 

"  Severe  punishment  was  meted  out.  Four 
thousand  prominent  offenders  fell  under  the 
sword,  but  I  was  singled  out  for  a  special  fate 
as  a  warning  to  coming  ages.  '  AI  Zameri 
shall  not  die ;  Al  Zameri  shall  henceforth 
wander  like  Cain,  shunned,  feared,  cursed 
and  hated  ;  Al  Zameri  shall,  at  the  lapse  of  a 
hundred  years,  revisit  the  scene  of  his  crime, 
shall  be  restored  to  his  present  condition,  and 
thus  go  on  and  on,  until  time  shall  wipe  out 
the  memory  of  his  evil  deed,'  was  the  verdict 
I  heard.  The  prophet  spoke  it  under  the  spell 
of  inspiration,  and  I  was  set  free.* 

*  This  legend  of  the  Wandering  Jew,  which  so  far  as 
I  am  aware  has  never  before  been  printed,  except  for 
some  few  references  in  the  Koran,  is  probably  the  pre 
cursor  of  the  one  currently  familiar  among  Christians, 


38  ®l)*  tOcirfc  ©rient. 

"  And  free  I  was,  and  free  I  am  to  roam 
forever  like  a  mad  beast,  driven  hither  by  the 
fury  to  be  transformed  at  the  appointed  hour 
into  the  young  man  that  I  was  when  malicious 

and  it  will  be  seen  places  the  date  of  the  crime  that 
entailed  perpetual  punishment  at  some  150x3  years 
earlier.  To  my  mind  it  possesses  much  the  greater  psy 
chological  interest.  The  Koran  says : 

"  And  in  like  manner  al  Zameri  also  cast  in  what  he 
had  collected,  and  he  produced  unto  them  a  corporeal 
calf  which  lowed.  And  al  Zameri  and  his  companions 

said,  This  is  your  god  and  the  god  of  Moses 

Moses  said  unto  al  Zameri,  What  was  thy  design,  O 
Zameri?  He  answered,  I  knew  that  which  they  knew 
not,  wherefore  I  took  a  handful  of  dust  from  the  foot 
steps  of  the  messenger  of  God,  and  I  cast  it  into  the 
molten  calf ;  for  so  did  my  mind  direct  me  "  (Surah  20). 

The  presence,  and  especially  the  touch,  of  the  outcast 
is  supposed  to  entail  disaster,  of  which  he  is  bound  to 
warn  those  with  whom  he  is  brought  into  contact ;  and 
it  is  therefore  that  Al  Zameri  cries  out  to  his  rescuer 
(page  24)  "  Touch  me  not."  The  reference  in  the  Koran 
is,  "  Moses  said,  Get  thee  gone ;  for  thy  punishment  in 
this  life  shall  be,  that  thou  shalt  say  unto  those  who 
shall  meet  thee,  Touch  me  not "  (Surah  20). 

The  roaming  Al  Zameri  has  in  Oriental  folklore  a 
counterpart  in  the  wandering  Cain,  who  also  is  sup 
posed  to  live  forever. 


toeirb  QDrient.  39 


folly  stamped  me  as  the  outcast  of  the  human 
race. 

"That  same  hour  I  conceived  an  irrepressible 
impulse  to  seek  the  vast,  the  void,  the  desert, 
the  jungle,  the  swamp,  —  the  unlighted  cavern, 
the  place  of  graves,  the  ruin,  —  evading  the 
blessed  haunts  of  man,  abhorring  sunshine  and 
courting  darkness.  Daylight  blinds  me  as  it 
does  the  owl  ;  the  sight  of  gold  confounds,  its 
touch  burns  me.  The  ferocious  beast  flees  at 
my  approach  ;  the  serpent  hisses  and  writhes 
away.  However  teeming  the  region  with  ani 
mal  life,  however  vocal  with  the  song  of  bird, 
my  passing  turns  it  into  a  soundless,  lifeless 
wild.  I  speed  with  the  wind,  sweep  with  the 
storm,  welcome  the  lightning's  flare,  the  thun 
der's  growl,  rage  with  the  elements,  curse  with 
the  fiends  of  black  Abaddon.  The  tiger's  den 
is  my  shelter,  my  pillow  a  coil  of  venomous 
reptiles.  I  throw  myself  into  the  jaws  of  the 
lion,  swallow  the  essence  of  poison,  —  it  does 
not  avail  me.  Death  is  in  league  with  all 
creation  against  me.  If  1  try  to  end  my  misery 
by  falling  into  a  chasm,  I  am  lighter  than  air. 
Water  will  not  drown  me,  fire  will  not  burn 


40  ®l)£     drb  Orient. 

me,  steel  will  cut  my  flesh  but  spares  my 
life,  and  my  dread  is  life — time — time,  end 
less,  hopeless,  hateful  years, — decades,  cycles, 
millenniums!  Such  is  the  sky-ruled  destiny 
of  Al  Zameri  !" 

" Horrible  is  thy  fate  !  Thine  is  hell  on  earth, 
O,  son  of  guilt,  who  didst  ingraft  on  the  race 
an  evil  growth, — the  worship  of  gold !  Ah,  the 
glittering  fetich  !  What  crimes  are  not  trace 
able  to  his  glossy  fascinations  ! — But  the  po 
tency  of  prayer,  the  tear  of  remorse  dear  to 
Allah  the  most  merciful,  the  King  of  the  Day 
of  Judgment,  are  they  denied  thee  ?"  inquired 
Ali  Bey. 

"Prayer,  prayer,  man's  inward  heaven, 
the  unction  of  life,  the  solace  of  the  soul, — 
prayer,  the  heart-feeding  stream,  with  God  as 
its  fountainhead  and  influx,  swelled  by  springs 
unrevealed  and  currents  vainly  searched," 
exclaimed  Al  Zameri,  striking  the  palms  of  his 
hands  together  with  a  clap  of  pain  ;*  "  prayer 

*  The  familiar  Oriental  gesture  expressing  painful 
emotions  is  to  throw  the  arms  wide  apart,  and  bring 
the  palms  of  the  hands  together  with  a  distinct,  and 
often  resounding,  clap  ;  then  clasping  the  hands,  tremu 
lous  with  the  stress  of  feeling. 


tDdrfc  QDmnt.  41 

would  just  as  readily  commingle  with  my  being 
as  Eden's  blessed  rivers  with  the  flames  of 
hell.  What  heaven  and  earth  reveal  of  the 
wonderful  and  holy  is  deterring  to  me,  whom 
neither  the  sublime  nor  the  beautiful  inspires, 
filled  as  I  am  with  doubt  as  to  whether  there 
be  mercy  ample  enough  to  cover  my  guilt. 

"Yea,  once, — but  once, — long  before  the 
Orient  felt  the  Roman's  iron  grip,  my  lips, 
prompted  by  the  whisper  of  a  cherub,  stam 
mered  prayer ;  and  with  that  inspiration  died 
my  feeble  hope,  leaving  a  seething  caldron  in 
a  heart  of  flint.  Ah,  from  my  gloom  of  hell  I 
had  a  glimpse  of  paradise. — Thou  hast  heard 
of  Balbec's  ancient  glories,  of  which  her  mag 
nificent  ruins  tell ;  I  saw  her  in  her  palmy 
days,  a  city  of  palaces  for  merchant  princes 
to  dwell  in,  the  rival  of  Tyre,  Tadmor  and 
Damascus;  Perched  on  the  side  of  the  Anti- 
Libanus,  high  above  the  fertile  plain  of  Sahlat- 
Ba'albec,  and  encircled  by  groves  and  gardens 
watered  by  the  valley's  never-failing  spring  of 
Ra'as-el  Ayn,  Balbec  gloried  in  rearing  great 
monuments,  while  the  temples  dedicated  to 
her  gods  stood  among  the  marvels  of  the  world. 


42  Stye  tDeirfc  QDrient. 

Whatever  was  precious,  useful,  or  ornamental, 
was  to  be  had  in  the  bazaars  of  Balbec.  Cara 
vans  carried  invaluable  treasures  through  her 
gates,  and  the  royalties  she  levied  enabled  her 
to  display  a  princely  munificence  in  her  domes 
tic  affairs.  With  Syria's  fluctuating  fortunes, 
Balbec  realized  every  change,  but  her  dead 
liest  enemy  was  the  earthquake's  fearful 
visitation.  Often  did  I  wish  to  see  creation 
sink  in  chaos,  and  myself  engulfed  in  the 
universal  wreckage  ;  but  my  attempt  to  find 
death  in  one  of  Balbec's  catastrophes,  instead 
of  bringing  deliverance,  brought  heaven  within 
my  touch,  with  redoubled  anguish  as  the 
sequel.  Satan  has  his  sport  with  Al  Zameri. 

"  My  memory  is  aglow  as  I  recall  the  day 
of  lurid  skies,  an  atmosphere  saturated  with 
oppressive  vapors,  an  ominous  fluttering  of 
birds,  and  a  spasmodic  rumbling,  as  of  explo 
sions  underground.  Too  familiar  with  the 
symptoms  to  misunderstand  the  nature  of  the 
impending  disturbance,  I  was  thankful  to  be 
near  Balbec,  in  whose  ruins  I  hoped  to  be 
buried.  Quick  as  my  limbs  could  carry  me,  I 
hurried  to  the  doomed  city,  and  entered  it 


QDricnt.  43 

through  one  of  her  gates,  which  gave  me  a  full 
view  of  her  famous  Great  Temple.  Terror 
distracted  the  multitude,  who  rushed  about, 
tumbling  one  against  the  other,  and  bellowing 
like  frightened  cattle.  Repeated  shocks  opened 
gaping  crevices  in  the  ground,  swallowing 
houses  and  closing  over  man  and  brute.  Down 
came  monumental  shafts  of  skilful  workman 
ship  ;  buildings  of  massive  masonry  were  either 
lying  in  heaps,  the  graves  of  their  inmates,  or 
stood  cracked,  ready  to  tumble  at  the  next 
upheaval.  Death  was  lurking  everywhere. 
Little  affected  by  the  wrecks  around  me,  my 
only  thought  was  to  corner  death  where 
escape  was  wellnigh  impossible,  and  I  rushed 
up  the  grand  flight  of  steps,  which  took  me  to 
the  eastern  portico  of  the  stupendous  edifice, 
landing  me  in  a  large,  hexagonal  space.  It 
had  the  dimensions  of  a  court, — which  it  was 
not,  but  a  vestibule  with  one  main  entrance 
and  two  side-doors  to  the  great  court,  a  peri 
style  circumscribed  by  columns  of  artistic 
chiselling,  back  of  which  were  numerous 
recesses  adorned  by  statues  of  gods.  With 
no  one  to  question  my  intrusion  into  the  sacred 


44  ®f)e  tOeirfc  ©dent, 


fane,  I  stood  undetermined  and  purposeless, 
when  a  subterraneous  force  shook  the  rock- 
built  foundation  of  the  entablature,  which  de 
scended  with  a  crash,  wrecking  the  fine  statu 
ary  by  the  weight  of  the  fragments.  A  scream 
of  horror  drew  me  irresistibly  in  the  direction 
of  the  voice  that  uttered  it,  where,  behind  a  ped 
estal,  I  saw  a  damsel  stretched  on  the  floor 
writhing  in  convulsions.  Bending  over  the 
form  and  raising  it  from  the  ground,  I  held  in 
my  arms  a  being  too  perfect  to  be  mortal, 
too  substantial  to  be  divine.  She  was  unhurt, 
except  for  fright,  and,  bearing  her  to  the  open 
quadrangle  of  the  peristyle,  I  seated  myself 
on  the  floor,  allowing  her  head  and  shoulders 
to  rest  on  my  lap.  '  Art  thou  the  goddess  to 
whom  this  temple  is  dedicated?'  breathed  I. 
In  answer  a  pair  of  eyes  opened  wide,  to  my 
indescribable  confusion,  eyes  that  would  tame 
the  tiger  and  charm  the  hydra  ;  but  they  soon 
closed  again. 

"Sheykh,  I  have  seen  Sisygambis,  Persia's 
imperial  mistress,  the  dame  of  Darius,  her 
cheek  shaming  the  jewelled  tiara  meant  to 
grace  majesty.  On  the  tide  of  the  Cydnus, 


€!)£  ttkirfc  (Orient.  45 

on  a  galley,  carved,  gilded,  and  inlaid  with 
ivory,  gliding  to  the  rhythmic  stroke  of  polished 
oars,  under  sails  of  silk,  I  saw  Cleopatra  re 
clining  on  the  deck,  in  the  shade  of  a  star- 
spangled  canopy,  arrayed  as  Venus,  in  the 
midst  of  voluptuous  music,  with  her  women 
dressed  as  nymphs,  and  little  boys  as  Cupids  ; 
she  moved  me  no  more  than  did  a  score  of 
others  famed  for  beauty  in  their  time.  But 
stirred  and  stricken  was  I  by  the  matchless 
damsel  chance  had  thrown  in  my  way,  and 
there  I  sat  intoxicated  by  a  quaff  from  some 
heavenly  spring  thitherto  unknown  to  me. 
'  If  thou  wert  mine,  eternity  !  what  would  it 
matter  to  me  whether  the  heavens  favor  me 
or  curse  ?'  muttered  I  half  audibly. 

"  Once  more  her  opened  eyelids  laid  bare 
the  fountains  of  bliss,  and  once  more  I  asked, 
'  Art  thou  that  one  whom  the  denizens  of 
Balbec  worship  ?' 

"  Like  one  waking  from  a  vision  she  raised 
her  head,  raised  herself,  rose  to  her  height  a 
majestic  figure,  and,  looking  down  to  me  with 
an  expression  of  awe,  she  answered  my  ques 
tion  with  a  question  :  Whether  I  was  one  of 


46  (Elje  Qkirfc 


the  gods  to  whose  worship  her  father  had  con 
secrated  her  ?  '  I  am  the  priestess  of  chaste 
Istar.  Only  a  god  could  save  me  as  thou 
didst/  cried  the  maiden,  sinking  prostrate 
before  me. 

"A  momentary  rocking  of  the  entire  struct 
ure  left  but  few  of  the  remaining  columns  erect. 
The  others  brought  down  the  Corinthian  capi 
tals  and  the  heavy  entablature  with  a  tremen 
dous  fall,  and  the  great  court  was  one  mass  of 
debris  scattered  in  every  direction. 

"  The  eastern  portico  being  barred  by  a 
confused  pile  of  broken  columns,  the  only 
escape  left  open  was  the  western  end,  and 
hither  I  carried  the  fainting  priestess,  issuing 
with  my  burden  from  the  wreck,  and  finding 
myself  before  another  building  still  more  beau 
tiful  and  not  yet  greatly  injured.  This  was  Bal- 
bec's  Temple  of  the  Sun,  a  blossom  of  archi 
tecture  and  sculpture,  profusely  ornamented 
by  figures  of  gods  and  heroes,  and  finished 
with  a  great  lavishness  of  skill  and  art. 

"  It  was  the  end  of  the  day,  and  anxious  to 
shun  observation  I  labored  up  the  stately  stair 
way  to  seek  a  refuge  in  the  safer  place,  not  on 


tDdrfc  QDrient  47 


my  own  account  but  for  the  sake  of  the  pre 
cious  creature  in  my  charge.  Through  a  lofty 
portal  I  reached  two  staircases  to  my  right  and 
left,  each  one  leading  to  the  upper  story, 
which  was  the  Temple  proper.  Here  I  stopped 
to  take  breath,  the  burden  having  proved  too 
much  for  me,  and  here  again  I  had  to  look 
into  those  open  eyes  that  beamed  unutterable 
things  for  me.  —  'Save  me,  save  me,  and  I  will 
praise  and  worship  thee,  god  of  the  sun/ 
whispered  the  deluded  creature. 

"  '  Be  undeceived,  fair  ministress,  I  am  no 
god  but  a  man  of  flesh  and  blood  and  untold 
woes,  woes  unknown  to  any  mortal  but  my 
self/  said  I. 

"'Thou  no  god,  and  a  man  of  untold  woes?  — 
Thou  art  unlike  any  mortal  in  look,  and  who 
sent  thee  hither  to  save  me,  all  others  having 
deserted  this  fane,  priest  and  priestess  fleeing 
for  life  ?  Surely  thou  art  more  than  mortal, 
thus  to  face  death  undeterred  ?' 

"  '  Let  not  a  guilt-encumbered  fugitive  prac 
tice  deception  on  thee,  ministress  of  Istar. 
Thou  art  right,  alas  !  I  am  not  mortal  ;  but 
cursed  to  wander  and  suffer,  because  of  a  great 


48  Stye  toeirb  (Orient. 

sin  committed  thousands  of  years  ago/  cried  I, 
and  briefly  enlightened  her  as  to  my  nature 
and  my  doom.  Tender  compassion  radiated 
from  her  immaculate  countenance  as,  seizing 
my  hand  with  a  hold  that  thrilled  my  frame 
with  ravishing  delight,  she  spoke  these  words  : 

" '  O,  let  me  alleviate  thy  suffering  by  shar 
ing  thy  misery,  poor,  erring  man,  who  didst 
offend  Zicara  and  his  progeny!  Yea,  I  will 
pray  in  thy  behalf ! — Hear  me,  Zicara,  the  all- 
powerful,  and  thou,  Ea,  the  holder  of  life  and 
knowledge,  the  ruler  of  the  abyss,  the  king  of 
the  rivers  and  gardens,  the  mate  of  Bahu,  who 
begot  Bal  Merodach, — hear  me  and  restrain 
the  seven  evil  spirits  from  besetting  Al  Zameri, 
but  send  the  good  ones  to  placate  his  con 
science,  that  he  have  rest  and  peace,  after  an 
atonement  long  and  awful !  Yea,  my  life  for 
his,  Zicara,  if  propitiation  cannot  otherwise  be 
had,  since  he  has  imperilled  his  life  for  mine!' 

"  Even  while  these  fervid  words  dropped 
from  the  sweet  lips  of  the  kneeling  supplicant, 
the  roving  mania  seized  me  deliriously.  I 
turned  my  face  toward  the  nearest  exit,  but 
felt  my  garment  caught  by  the  hands  that  had 


CDeirfc  QDrient.  49 

been  folded  in  prayer. — 'Flee  not  hence  before 
I  kiss  the  hands  which  brought  me  succor/ 
cried  the  maiden  passionately  stirred.  Burn 
ing  kisses  covered  my  hands  ;  a  tingling  woe 
permeated  the  core  of  my  being  ;  I  kissed  the 
head,  the  cheek,  the  mouth  of  the  one  in  the 
wide  world,  who  had  offered  to  share  my  fate, 
had  offered  her  life  for  mine.  But  adamantine 
chains  could  not  check  my  madness  to  fly  ;  I 
broke  away  from  her  embrace,  whose  lamenta 
tions  cut  into  my  heart. 

"  A  pack  of  hell-hounds  yelping  at  my  heels 
would  have  added  little  to  the  mad  pace  that 
carried  me  to  the  dreary  haunts  of  the  mount 
ains, — the  wailing  of  the  girl,  and  her  image, 
following  me  as  new  fuel  to  feed  the  fire  of 
despair.  Broken  by  overwhelming  wretched 
ness,  I  fell  where  a  steep  rock  barred  my  way, 
and  then,  after  a  chain  of  tearless  cycles,  I 
wept, — yea,  and  prayed  for  mercy, — ah  !  to 
be  delivered  as  it  may  please  Him,  whom  I 
displeased ! 

"With  sleep  came  a  figure  clad  in  super 
natural  brightness, — '  Matatron  the  messenger 
of  grace,  who  spreads  man's  prayers  before 

4 


50  ftije  ifteirir  (Drient. 

the  Throne,  speaks  to  thee,  Al  Zameri !  Be 
tween  thy  prayer  and  His  Mercy  stands  a 
world  of  evil,  fostered  by  the  fetich  of  thy 
making.  Thou  hast  seduced  the  people  chosen 
to  redeem  mankind.  When  the  race  shall 
deem  the  chase  of  gold  a  thing  as  base  as 
rapine,  as  vile  as  lust, — then  will  the  fever  of 
thy  soul  abate.  Till  then  live  on,  the  symbol 
of  insatiate  greed,  a  living  Sodom,  weltering 
in  the  fetid  pool  of  spiritual  stagnancy!* " 
And  Al  Zameri  was  silent,  burying  his 
wretched  face  in  his  hands. 

"  Truly,  geld  in  itself  is  not  an  evil ;  it  is 
the  root  of  the  world's  evil,  the  leprosy  of 
the  heart,  incurable  as  the  lung's  consumption 
that  reddens  the  cheek  while  it  drains  the  life, 
and  thy  guilt  in  reference  thereunto  is  as  dark 
as  thy  punishment  is  great,"  spoke  Ali.  "  I 
am  that  country's  lord  where  I  have  been 
slave ;  courage  has  done  much  for  me,  but 
gold  the  most, — yea,  and  the  worst  to  make 
woman  foul,  and  man  her  villain.  Here  Mam 
mon  is  the  king  of  kings.  Ali  Bey  is  a  fugitive 
from  assassins  bought  for  gold,  and  Islam's 
Caliph  depends  for  sovereign  ease  and  safety 


tXtofc  ©dent.  51 


less  on  valor  and  loyalty  than  on  the  bribe. 
Thou  hast  raised  gold  to  be  an  idol,  on  whose 
altars  man's  heart,  his  honor  and  his  peace, 
and  woman's  virtue,  are  too  often  sacrificed. 
Therefore,  run  thy  course,  Al  Zameri  ;  fulfil 
great  Allah's  decree,  that  man  take  heed  lest 
in  His  just  anger  He  drown  this  world  in  a 
boiling  flood  of  liquid  gold!" 

A  few  stones  removed  from  the  entrance  of 
the  cave  enabled  the  cursed  roamer  to  slip  out 
like  a  phantom,  and  with  him  passed  the  storm, 
leaving  a  chill  around  the  heart  of  the  Bey. 

"  Allah  akbar  !  This  meeting  forebodes  Ali's 
downfall,  I  fear.  It  is  my  evil  star  that  caused 
the  wretch  to  thwart  my  way,"  said  Ali  Bey 
to  himself.  Subsequent  developments  proved 
his  presentiment  prophetic;  in  an  ambush 
placed  for  his  destruction,  the  celebrated 
Sheykh  met  his  death. 


SHEDDAD'S  PALACE  OF  IREM. 


SHEDDAD'S  PALACE  OF  IREM. 


SHEDDAD  and  Sheddid,  the  sons  of  Ad 
and  the  grandsons  of  Uz,  acquired 
great  fame  in  Hadramaut,  where  they 
saw  light  in  Ahkaf,  a  region  of  deserts 
bordered  by  deserts,  desolate  as  Hejaz,  sterile 
as  Tehamah,  burning  as  Dahna  "the  red/1 
frightful  as  Gobi,  and  less  explored  than 
Sahara.  The  ancient  Hebrews  spoke  of  Hadra 
maut  as  Ha%armaveth9  the  "court  of  death/' 
and  this  sepulchral  name  is  fully  accounted 
for  by  its  black  rocks,  which  here  and  there 
show  head  above  the  sifting  sand-ridges,  like 
so  many  colossal  coffins  in  the  midst  of  the 
gloomiest  of  graveyards.  Here  the  tribe  of  Ad 
not  alone  prospered,  but  accomplished  things 
forever  memorable  in  tale  and  song. 

While  traversing  the  desert  of  Han-Hai 
Marco  Polo  reports  to  have  seen  ghostly  ap 
paritions;  and  heard  them  speak,  calling  people 
by  their  names,  and  startling  the  drivers  of 

(55) 


56  ftlje  toeirfc  ®ri*nt. 

the  caravan  by  such  strange  noises  as  the 
tramp  of  horses,  the  beating  of  drums,  and  the 
blowing  of  trumpets  and  other  musical  instru 
ments.  The  Oriental  counts  those  spectral 
manifestations  in  the  deserts  as  one  of  the 
many  aspects  of  the  world's  spiritual  mystery, 
and  the  ancient  Arab  never  entered  a  waste 
in  the  dark  without  this  propitiatory  expression 
of  confidence  uttered  with  the  solemnity  of 
prayer:  "  I  fly  for  refuge  unto  the  prince  of 
this  region,  that  he  may  protect  me  against  the 
foolish  of  his  domain." 

It  is  the  Bedouin's  conviction  that  countless 
ages  before  the  creation  of  Adam  myriads  of 
Jinn  or  genii  were  created  of  fire,  and  enjoyed 
the  blessings  of  this  world  under  successive 
rulers  who  bore  the  generic  name  of  Suliman. 
These  airy  creatures,  however,  being  of  in 
ferior  quality,  are  not  alone  subject  to  mortal 
wants,  like  eating,  drinking  and  propagating, 
but  are  corruptible  and  perishable;  so  thatwhen 
their  wickedness  provoked  Allah's  anger,  he 
ordered  Eblis  to  drive  them  into  the  most  in 
hospitable  deserts,  where  they  are  kept  in 
rigid  seclusion,  but  not  without  a  certain 


QDrknt.  57 

latitude  of  action.  For  they  are  permitted  to 
exercise  their  potential  energies,  and  indulge 
their  various  inclinations  for  good  or  for  evil, 
some  being  malignant,  others  beneficent.  The 
fairy-like  Peri,  the  gigantic  Div,  and  the 
sinister  Tacwins  or  fates,  are  referred  to  in  the 
Koran,  which  fact  renders  doubt  in  their  exist 
ence  out  of  the  question. 

Now,  the  secret  of  Ad's  power,  which  en 
abled  him  to  flourish  and  multiply  in  the  heart 
of  desolation,  was  a  host  of  Jinn  placed  at  his 
command  by  his  father  Uz,  the  son  of  Aram, 
who  was  the  son  of  Shem,  one  of  Noah's  three 
offspring.  With  superhuman  agents  to  carry 
out  his  designs,  Ad  conceived  the  idea  of 
building  the  most  stupendous  palace  on  earth 
in  the  wilderness  of  Aden,  and  he  intimated 
the  project  to  his  older  son  Sheddad.  Shed- 
dad's  imagination  was  set  aflame,  but  the 
vastnessof  the  scheme  rendered  its  realization 
somewhat  doubtful,  the  nature  of  the  resources 
notwithstanding. 

"  Thy  plan,  father,  surpasses  in  magnitude 
that  of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  but  my  ambition 
would  surround  the  grandest  palace  under  the 


$8  ®l)£  todrb  (Orient. 

heavens  with  a  garden  like  unto  Paradise, 
provided  thy  means  are  ample  enough  to  do 
it,"  said  the  firstborn  of  Ad. 

"  Palace  and  garden  shall  rise  by  invisible 
hands  !"  exclaimed  Ad  boastfully,  and  pro 
ceeded  with  the  sketching  of  his  design  on 
the  sand. 

The  palace  was  to  be  reared  on  a  plateau  as 
high  as  the  highest  land  of  Yemen,  should 
have  sufficient  accommodation  for  his  progeny 
multiplied  a  thousandfold,  and  its  surpassing 
feature  was  to  be  a  hall  of  superb  magnificence, 
with  room  for  the  throne  of  a  king  to  stand  in 
the  midst  of  his  court  and  his  warriors,  the 
grand  edifice  to  be  enwreathed  by  a  garden 
like  Eden,  and  to  be  accessible  and  visible 
only  at  the  royal  bidding. 

Ad's  fabulous  dream  was  again  improved 
upon  by  his  inventive  son,  who  proposed  to 
have  a  city  of  princely  dwellings  cluster  around 
the  palace,  the  garden  to  surround  the  whole, 
and  to  be  enclosed  by  a  wall  with  stately 
portals.  The  additional  feature  commended 
itself  to  Ad, but  the  execution  of  the  scheme  was 
accompanied  by  an  element  of  danger  of  which 


tDeirb  ([Drient.  59 


its  projectors  were  unaware,  and  which  proved 
fatal  to  its  originator.  Believing  the  hour 
ripe  for  the  work  to  begin,  Ad  repaired  one 
dark  night,  unaccompanied,  to  the  dismal 
region  to  set  himself  aright  with  the  potent 
instruments  he  had  depended  on  for  the  actu 
alization  of  his  dream.  Whether  unnerved  by 
the  dismal  dreariness  of  the  desert,  or  confused 
by  an  instinctive  dread  of  the  supernatural 
machinery  to  be  set  in  motion,  the  conjuror 
uttered  the  wrong  formula,  and  the  sequel  was 
appalling.  For  instead  of  the  beaming  spirits 
he  expected  to  bow  to  him,  a  hideous  legion 
wagged  their  tails,  having  descended  on  him  like 
a  tempest,  frowning  and  grinning,  their  eyes 
darting  fury  and  hatred.  Ad  had  unwittingly 
disturbed  the  dreaded  Tacwins,  who  would 
have  torn  him  to  pieces  but  for  the  mystic 
signet  he  held  in  his  hand,  the  talisman  which, 
in  a  later  age,  enabled  Solomon  to  capture 
Ashmodai  and  rule  over  myriads  of  genii.  The 
terror  of  the  moment,  however,  paralyzed  the 
heart  of  the  unfortunate  wizard.  Ad  was  found 
dead,  and  was  greatly  mourned  by  his  family 
and  the  tribe  that  bore  his  name. 


60  &t)t  ttteirfc  ODrient. 


Undeterred  by  the  tragic  end  of  his  father, 
Sheddad,  now  the  acknowledged  head  of  his 
tribe,  and  the  owner  of  the  potent  seal,  took 
his  brother  Sheddid  into  the  secret,  asserting 
it  to  be  their  filial  duty  to  complete  at  all 
hazard  what  their  sire  had  begun.  Sheddid 
was  not  of  the  adventurous  type  ;  he  preferred 
the  ease  of  the  tent  to  enterprises  fraught 
with  danger,  and  besought  his  brother  to  desist 
from  an  attempt  which  had  already  proved 
fatal,  declaring  himself  content  to  be  simply 
one  of  the  tribe.  Sole  master  of  the  situation, 
however,  Sheddad  burned  with  impatience  to 
see  his  dazzling  vision  assume  the  form  of 
reality  ;  and  wholly  reckless  as  to  danger,  pro 
ceeded  to  act  in  the  manner  planned  by  his 
father  and  himself.  He  proved  more  successful 
than  Ad  in  putting  himself  in  communication 
with  the  friendly  Jinn  subject  to  his  will,  and 
astonished  them  with  the  sketch  he  drew  of 
what  he  meant  them  to  accomplish  for  him  ; 
for  by  this  time  the  previous  outline  was  even 
more  expanded,  and  his  commands  were  set 
forth  with  irrevocable  authority. 

"You  are  required  to  build  for  me  a  city 


tDdrfc  (Drient.  61 


never  to  be  equalled,  still  less  to  be  excelled, 
by  anything  art  or  skill  may  attempt  to  produce; 
it  is  to  be  the  home  of  a  people  a  thousand 
times  more  numerous  than  the  tribe  of  Ad, 
and  its  crowning  marvel  is  to  be  my  palace,  — 
of  a  splendor  befitting  a  king  of  kings,  and  of 
an  amplitude  to  afford  room  for  a  great  court 
and  an  army.*  Grounded  on  a  rocky  founda 
tion  on  a  level  with  Yemen's  highlands,  the 
city's  walls  and  dwellings  shall  be  white  as 
alabaster,  but  the  palace  shall  be  of  onyx, 
trimmed  with  gold  and  set  with  gems.  Twelve 
gorgeous  halls  shall  be  named  after  the  signs 
of  the  zodiac,  all  opening  upon  one  grander 
than  them  all,  beneath  a  dome  lucent  as  the 

*  The  Koran  has  this  reference  to  the  Palace  of  Irem, 
showing  that  it  was  already  a  tradition  before  the  time 
of  Mohammed  : 

"  Hast  thou  not  considered  how  the  Lord  dealt  with 
Ad,  the  people  of  Irem,  adorned  by  lofty  buildings,  the 
like  whereof  hath  not  been  erected  in  the  land?"  (Surah 
89;  "The  Daybreak.") 

That  Sheddad,  having  planted  a  garden  in  imitation 
of  the  heavenly  paradise,  had  been  smitten  by  lightning 
on  his  way  hither,  is  another  variation  of  the  widely 
known  legend. 


62  ©l)£  ittiirb  (Orient. 


firmament,  illumined  by  a  sun,  a  moon,  and 
scintillating  stars,  moving  at  the  king's  will 
around  his  throne  that  shall  blaze  with  what 
is  most  precious  and  brilliant  in  those  jewels 
which  rival  the  lustre  of  the  constellations. 
Vaults  for  treasures,  apartments  for  feasting, 
pavillions  for  ease,  recesses  for  love,  grottoes 
for  coolness,  cisterns  for  bathing,  colonnades 
for  pleasure,  balconies  for  survey,  and  seats 
for  delight,  shall  make  my  palace  inimitable 
for  all  time.  And  city  and  palace  shall  be 
embedded  in  an  Eden  of  foliage,  blossom  and 
fruit,  animated  by  birds  of  lustrous  plume  and 
sweetest  song.  Tax  your  skill  to  build  more 
perfect  than  I  know  to  ask  for,  but  never  less; 
and  let  your  magic  make  the  retreats  inac 
cessible  without  the  pleasure  of  the  king," 
closed  Sheddad,  inwardly  sorry  that  his  inven 
tive  faculty  lagged  behind  his  vaulting  ambi 
tion  to  be  unexcelled  in  grandeur  and  glory. 

"Master  of  the  potent  seal,"  replied  the 
chief  of  the  shining  files,  "thy  behest  is  our 
concern.  In  eleven  nights  Sheddad  shall 
stamp  our  work  with  his  approval."  Elevated 
in  his  own  estimation  to  the  rank  of  a  king  of 


ftlje  todrfc  (Orient.  63 

kings,  and  conscious  of  a  power  equal  to  that 
of  a  god,  it  required  but  a  slight  incentive  for 
Sheddad's  vanity  to  overleap  itself,  and  in 
fernal  Eblis  was  at  hand  to  furnish  it.  In  the 
guise  of  an  angel,  the  devil  bewildered  the 
architect  of  Irem  by  saluting  him  as  a  god. — 
"  Born  of  a  woman,  thine  is  the  homage  due 
to  a  prince  of  the  skies,  before  whom  spirits 
bow,  exalted  Sheddad!"  spoke  the  Satanic 
deceiver  with  a  profound  salaam,  and  rose  on 
his  mighty  wings  to  vanish  in  the  void  of  the 
desert. 

After  this  Sheddad  would  not  have  been 
astonished  to  hear  the  stars  proclaim  his  maj 
esty,  but  he  was  surprised  when,  having 
listened  to  his  marvellous  tale  of  the  city  the 
Jinn  would  build  for  him,  Almena,  his  favorite 
wife,  beheld  an  evil  omen  in  the  fact  that,  in 
his  plan  of  sumptuous  building,  Sheddad  had 
neglected  to  provide  for  the  worship  of  the 
only  true  God. 

"How  could  Sheddad  forget  him  who  created 
the  heavens  and  the  earth,  the  stars  and  the 
spirits,  and  whose  just  wrath  wiped  out  the 
people  in  the  time  of  our  -ancestor  Noah  ? 


64  &!)*      eirfc  (Orient. 

God's  temple  ought  to  rise  high  above  thy 
palace,  or  it  will  not  stand,  even  according  to 
the  prophecy  of  Hud,  thy  uncle,  whose  words 
were  confirmed  by  signs  from  On  High,"  ex 
postulated  Almena.  "  Woman,  thy  Sheddad 
is  a  god,  and  shall  be  worshipped  because  of 
his  potency,  and  the  favors  he  may  bestow  on 
those  who  shall  please  him.  A  heavenly 
power  paid  me  homage  before  I  entered  this 
tent,  and  in  eleven  nights  the  tribe  of  Ad  will 
see  the  wonder  of  the  world.  My  palace  shall 
be  their  temple,  my  throne  their  altar,  thyself 
their  goddess,  and  Sheddad  their  god  !"  cried 
the  infatuated  chief. 

Almena  was  a  frail  daughter  of  Eve,  and 
Sheddad's  picture  of  their  prospective  divinity, 
sustained  as  it  was  by  an  angel's  confirmation, 
converted  her  to  share  her  husband's  madness. 
The  thoughts  that  occupied  them  during  the 
day  came  in  weird  visions  during  the  night, 
— throngs  kneeling  in  adoration  before  them, 
burning  incense  and  wafting  expiatory  invoca 
tions,  and  kings  hurrying  from  the  ends  of  the 
earth  to  receive  their  crowns  and  sceptres 
from  Sheddad's  grace.  On  the  tribe,  it  was 


toeirfc  <E>riettt.  65 

deemed  best  that  their  chief's  godship  should 
burst  as  a  revelation. 

While  the  tribe  of  Ad  were  soundly  asleep 
in  their  tents,  a  man  and  a  woman  slipped 
cautiously  out  of  the  encampment.  They 
were  mounted  on  two  fast  dromedaries,  and 
glided  like  spectres  into  the  heart  of  the  desert, 
buried  in  night  and  silence.  Once  more  Eblis 
played  his  infernal  trick  on  the  deluded  Shed- 
dad,  now  in  company  of  his  bewitched  Almena, 
by  a  renewed  mock-adoration  offered  as  by  a 
winged  cherub.  For  it  is  hardly  necessary  to 
state  that  the  infatuated  couple  were  on  their 
way  to  the  abode  of  their  future  felicities. 
They  had  not  been  riding  many  hours  before 
the  level,  blank  face  of  the  waste  softened 
into  undulations  scantily  covered  with  that 
vegetation  which  the  camel  alone  is  capable  of 
digesting, — its  gastric  capacities  being  almost 
equal  to  that  of  the  ostrich, — and  the  outlook 
indicated  rising  ground.  A  stretch  had  to  be 
crossed  punctuated  by  black  rocks  in  ever- 
increasing  number,  until  the  wilderness  looked 
a  stony  maze  of  dismal  projections  worn 
smooth  by  the  grinding  sands,  ever  moving 


66  ©Ije  to  sir  &  CDrient. 

with  the  gusts  of  hot  air ;  and  the  East  indicated 
daybreak  when  Sheddad  and  Almena  ascended 
a  height  from  which  they  could  survey  a  vast 
horizon,  bordered  on  the  south-east  by  sea, 
but  presenting  otherwise  the  sterility  of  Arabia 
Deserta.  A  curious  and  perplexing  paralysis 
of  speech  deprived  them  of  the  interchange  of 
sentiments,  and  an  up-hill  advance  of  a  mile 
or  so  brought  them  before  an  arched  portal  of 
imposing  stateliness,  opening  on  a  great  city, 
half-hidden  from  view  by  the  sylvan  and 
floral  wealth  of  an  Eden. 

Husband  and  wife  exchanged  a  look  of 
amazement,  strangely  debarred  from  an  audible 
articulation  of  feeling  just  when  there  was  so 
much  to  be  wondered  at.  There  being  nobody 
to  hinder,  no  one  to  welcome  them,  Sheddad 
and  Almena  tied  their  brutes  to  the  glittering 
handles  of  the  brazen  gates,  and  proceeded  to 
take  sovereign  possession  of  what  they  con 
sidered  their  indisputable  domain.  The  as 
cending  avenue  before  them  might  have  been 
called  "  The  Vista  of  Enchantment."  Sinuous 
in  its  course,  its  moss-bedded  windings  were 
bordered  by  crystal  rivulets  which  came  down, 


itteirfc  QDdent.  67 


broken  by  impediments,  in  bounding  cascades, 
the  water  teeming  with  fish  of  tints  recalling 
the  changeful  blushes  of  Aurora.  Towering 
trees  shaded,  with  their  intertwining  crowns  of 
delicious  leafage,  a  tropical  exuberance  of 
lesser  growths  weighed  down  with  luscious 
fruit  or  glowing  and  sparkling  with  soft  colors 
forming  part  of  a  delightful  disorder  of  shrubs 
and  vines,  climbing,  winding,  crawling,  hang 
ing  and  blooming,  but  receding  here  and  there 
to  uncover  the  placid  mirror  of  a  lake  limpid 
as  beryl,  or  a  spring  of  the  coolest  and  purest 
liquid,  all  approachable  by  a  hundred  inter 
crossing  pathways,  lined  and  so  softly  carpeted 
that  the  unsandaled  foot  paced  as  on  a  silken 
rug  of  the  finest  texture.  Here  the  bulbul's 
note  was  drowned  in  a  concert  of  rival  war 
blers,  whose  melodies  were  as  sweet  as  their 
feathers  were  coruscant. 

With  ravenous  greed  Sheddad  and  Almena 
surrendered  to  the  garden's  temptations,  swal 
lowing  great  quantities  of  precious  fruit,  but 
feeding  a  hunger  that  seemed  to  grow  with  its 
glutting;  nor  did  the  cooling  drink  they  greedily 
imbibed  allay  their  parching  thirst.  But  the 


68  &t)t  toeirfc  ODmnt. 


whetted  appetite  rendered  the  sensuous  enjoy 
ment  resistlessly  fascinating  ;  and,  the  choice 
of  the  food  being  seemingly  unlimited,  husband 
and  wife  would  have  abandoned  themselves 
altogether  to  physical  indulgence,  had  not  an 
overpowering  sight  burst  on  them,  like  a  vision 
from  a  suddenly  opened  heaven. 

They  were  on  the  point  of  ascending  a  ter 
race  laid  out  with  all  the  arts  of  magic,  and 
enwreathed  with  all  the  bounties  of  nature, 
when  they  reached  the  entrance  to  an  enor 
mous  square,  superbly  enclosed  by  what  ap 
peared  a  score  of  palaces  blended  in  one  mass 
of  variegated  splendors,  the  one  at  the  opposite 
end  overtopping  the  others  by  a  dome  which 
blazed  in  the  sun's  radiance,  as  though  set 
with  carbuncles.  Symmetrically  proportionate 
to  the  size  of  the  grand  space  ran  a  depression 
defined  by  a  line  of  artistic  shafts  of  alabaster, 
capped  with  globes  of  burnished  gold  studded 
with  gems,  and  rising  majestically  above  a 
grove  of  enameled  green,  thick  with  odorifer 
ous  bloom.  In  the  heart  of  the  depression 
was  a  basin  filled  with  a  rushing  water  as 
transparent  as  the  sky,  and  enlivened  by  star- 


®l)e  tOeirfc  ODrient.  69 

dotted  swarms  of  the  finny  tribes.  It  was  an 
azure  stream  in  an  Elysian  garden,  in  the 
heart  of  a  succession  of  edifices  far  beyond 
the  limits  of  human  resources  and  ingenuity. 
Except  for  the  feathered  musicians,  and  the 
zephyr  which  stirred  the  air  and  foliage,  not  a 
sound  was  heard,  nor  a  creature  to  be  seen. 
The  overawing  majesty  of  an  architecture 
that  dwarfed  pantheons  into  monuments  of 
man's  vain  endeavor  to  imitate  the  inimitable, 
and  the  gorgeousness  which  could  not  be 
thought  of  without  remembering  the  limita 
tions  of  earthly  art  and  treasures  however 
great,  justified  to  himself  Sheddad's  conceit 
that  he  was  more  than  human,  a  conscious 
ness  now  at  last  fully  shared  by  Almena. 
Still  unable  to  express  their  wonderment  in 
words,  they  resorted  to  gestures  and  grimaces, 
as  though  the  tale  of  Babel  was  to  have  a  sort 
of  counterpart  in  the  story  of  Sheddad's  pal 
ace  of  Irem.  And  their  wonder  rose  in  in 
tensity  as,  entering  the  left  wing  of  the  palace 
by  a  sublime  portico,  the  lofty  vaulted  spaces, 
communicating  by  exquisitely  carved  arches, 
imparted  the  illusion  that  the  ceilings  were 


7o  ®rje  ttlnrb  (Orient. 

as  high  as  heaven  and  sparkled  with  real 
stars. 

An  implied  welcome  was  extended  to  them 
in  the  first  apartment  by  a  banquet  set  in  a 
begemmed  service  of  golden  vessels, — dainties 
and  beverages  fit  for  gods.  Hours  busily  spent 
at  the  sumptuous  board  did  neither  appease 
their  hunger  nor  quench  their  thirst.  Every 
morsel  and  every  quaff  sharpened  the  craving 
for  more.  When  they  succeeded  in  tearing 
themselves  from  the  table's  inexhaustible 
dishes,  their  progress  through  the  palatial 
spaces  consumed  more  time  than  they  were 
aware  of,  the  fascinations  being  as  varied  as 
they  were  marvellous.  For  incomputable  as 
was  the  wealth,  and  lavish  the  ornamental 
art  bestowed  on  each  and  every  room  trav 
ersed,  their  main  charm  lay  in  the  optic  illu 
sions,  causing  Sheddad  and  his  companion  to 
laugh  with  amusement  and  wonder,  to  scream 
with  astonishment,  or  to  shudder  with  horror. 

Yielding  to  a  woman's  inquisitiveness,  Al- 
mena  was  always  a  little  in  advance  of  her 
husband,  always  eager  to  be  yet  more  sur 
prised,  and  her  eagerness  was  fully  gratified. 


QDrient.  71 

Once  when  a  scream  of  laughter  brought 
Sheddad  to  his  wife's  side,  he  found  that 
what  she  had  mistaken  for  clear  water, 
rippled  by  a  breeze,  was  indeed  the  solid 
floor  of  a  long  green  archway,  imparting  the 
illusion  of  a  stream  flowing  under  cover  of 
beautiful  trees  ;  Almena  had  prepared  to 
cross  it,  with  her  sandals  off,  and  her  skirts 
raised,  imagining  the  water  to  wave  gently  in 
a  bed  of  golden  sand.  Here,  again,  she  re 
coiled  with  terror  from  the  glaring  eyes  of  a 
crouching  lion,  ready  to  fly  at  her  in  a  rage  ; 
there  she  stood  paralyzed  at  the  sight  of  the 
deadly  rukta,  rolled  up  in  a  coil  on  an  imperial 
divan,  with  her  fangs  pointed,  and  her  eyes 
glaring.  In  this  manner  the  most  formidable 
species  of  the  animal  kingdom  faced  them  in 
threatening  postures  throughout  the  entire 
palace,  often  environed  by  their  natural  con 
ditions,  always  in  a  pose  of  aggressive  ferocity. 
Yet  all  this  notwithstanding,  Sheddad  affected 
the  lofty  bearing  of  a  god  in  his  realm  ;  strode 
haughtily  along  the  mysteriously  echoing  halls, 
the  echoes  of  which  ere  long  mixed  with 
strains  of  music  sweet  beyond  expression. 


72  ®l)£  tDmfc  (Orient. 

Drawn  by  the  swelling  harmonies,  they  de 
scended  a  stately  flight  of  stairs  landing  on  a 
platform  whence,  descending  another  flight, 
they  beheld  themselves  at  the  extreme  end  of 
an  enormous  cavern  bathed  in  a  translucent 
haze  of  an  unearthly  luminousness.  The  muf 
fled  rumble  of  a  distant  waterfall  blended  en- 
chantingly  with  waves  of  melody  that  floated 
incomprehensibly  through  the  weird  mazes  of 
the  honey-combed  hollow  extending  endlessly 
in  cavernous,  inaccessible  spaces,  passes  and 
galleries.  Availing  themselves  of  conveni 
ently  protruding  stepping-stones,  the  explorers 
ventured  into  the  nethermost  ranges,  fairly 
brightened  by  the  reflex  of  a  stalactitic  display, 
grotesque  in  shape,  bulky  in  size,  and  indefin 
able  in  color,  every  known  hue  blending  into 
a  magic  play  of  ever-changing  spectra,  and 
suggesting  the  idea  that  the  palace  above 
was  the  blossom  of  which  the  underground 
masses  were  the  roots.  Here  they  stood  be 
witched  by  the  symphonies  they  could  not 
account  for,  and  by  a  scenery  human  genius 
may  dream  of,  but  never  imitate. 
While  divided  between  the  delights  of  the 


ttteirfc  (DristU.  73 

ear  and  the  charm  of  the  eye,  Sheddad  and 
Almena  lost  no  sight  of  a  crystal  barrier  be 
hind  which  flowed  a  clear  water  alive  with 
luminous  fish,  and  through  which  they  had  a 
glimpse  of  things  above,  recognizing  it  to  be 
the  bed  of  the  rushing  stream  that  flowed 
in  the  court  of  the  palace,  fed  by  unexplor- 
able  cisterns,  and  discharging  its  volume  into 
an  unsounded  abyss.  As  they  advanced 
the  wonders  multiplied.  Fluted  pillars  of 
snowy  alabaster,  draped  and  marvellously 
traced  by  invisible  hands  ;  towering  shafts  of 
white,  red,  amber  and  blue  ;  hanging  balco 
nies  of  gossamer  lightness,  trimmed  with  scarfs 
finer  than  the  Indian  shawl  ;  canopies  bristling 
with  numberless  crystals  of  every  tint  and 
shape  ;  cataracts  petrified  in  the  act  of  precipi 
tation  ;  grottoes,  fountains,  streamlets  and 
cascades,  with  a  myriad  other  exhibitions  of 
magic  art,  filled  subterraneous  spaces  of  un 
measured  magnitude. 

Progressing  through  irregular  archways  and 
winding  passages,  Sheddad  and  Almena  were 
lost  in  the  labyrinth.  Remembering,  how 
ever,  that  the  crystal  basin  ran  along  the 


74  ®t)*  toeirfc  QDrient. 

grand  court  above,  Sheddad  followed  its  length 
and  discovered  a  way  to  an  ascent  which  took 
them  to  a  broad  stairway.  This  was  the 
entrance  from  below  to  a  colonnade  of  aston 
ishing  height  and  dimensions,  covering  the 
entire  width  of  the  court,  and  having  at  both 
extremes  grand  flights  of  steps,  leading  up  to 
the  wing  of  the  palace  crowned  by  the  blazing 
dome. 

If  the  son  of  Ad  and  his  consort  marveled 
at  what  they  had  seen  hitherto,  they  felt 
stupefied  as  ascending  they  stood  before  a 
golden  arch  wrought  in  imitation  of  the  rain 
bow,  revealing  the  all-outshining  throne-hall, 
rising  high  above  the  lofty  throne.  Four 
tigers  erect  on  their  haunches  held  up  with 
their  forepaws  the  seat  of  majesty,  a  gorgeous 
divan  bedecked  with  priceless  jewels,  under  a 
lofty  canopy  shaded  by  tapestries  of  matchless 
fabric  and  embroidery.  To  the  right,  sus 
pended  from  the  roof  of  the  canopy,  hung  the 
sceptre,  a  mace  incrusted  with  brilliants ;  to 
the  left  the  crown,  of  dazzling  splendor ;  above 
the  throne  sun,  moon,  and  stars  were  scattered 
within  the  concave  of  the  dome,  while  the 


$l)e  tDeirfc  ©dent.  75 

twelve  adjoining  halls  similarly  represented 
the  signs  of  the  zodiac,  thus  completing  a 
startling  illusion  of  the  heavens. 

As  though  driven  by  an  irresistible  force, 
Sheddad,  with  the  firm  step  of  a  king,  ad 
vanced  to  take  possession  of  his  throne,  Al- 
mena  watching  him  with  a  throbbing  heart. 
Nine  steps  had  to  be  ascended  before  the  seat 
could  be  reached.  The  aspirant  to  godship 
thought  he  felt  the  deadly  breath  of  the  tigers, 
whose  distended  claws  and  furious  eyes  threat 
ened  destruction,  but  he  nerved  himself  and 
ascended  the  royal  seat.  Simultaneously  with 
his  touch  upon  the  throne  the  crown  descended 
on  his  head,  the  sceptre  flew  into  his  hand, 
while  a  mantle  of  radiance  clothed  his  frame. 
Sheddad  felt  that  he  was  a  god,  for  his  corona 
tion  was  confirmed  by  the  immediate  action  of 
sun,  moon  and  stars,  which  began  to  move 
in  their  respective  orbits,  shedding  mellow 
light,  and  filling  the  spaces  with  sweet  strains. 

From  his  exalted  seat  Sheddad  had  for  the 
first  time  an  extended  view  of  his  dominion, 
and  he  realized  that  what  he  had  seen  thus  far 
was  but  the  heart  of  the  whole,  which  seemed 


76  ftlje  ttJeirfc  (Orient. 

unbounded  in  extent  and  unapproachable  in 
magnificence.  It  was  manifest  that  palace  and 
court  formed  the  focus  of  a  great  city,  spread 
ing  in  many  directions  in  avenues  shaded  by 
trees  and  cooled  by  delicious  springs,  placid 
lakes,  playing  fountains,  and  bubbling  stream 
lets.  Why  should  he  lose  a  moment  to  reveal 
himself  to  his  tribe  as  their  god  and  lead 
them  hither  triumphant  in  confirmation  of  his 
godship  ?  Who  on  earth  was  mightier  than 
he? 

He  rose.  The  sceptre  slipped  from  his  hand, 
the  crown  from  his  head,  the  mantle  from  his 
shoulders.  Everything  stood  still.  The  song 
died.  A  dimness  spread  around  him.  The 
eyes  of  the  tigers  glared  viciously.  He  stood 
by  the  side  of  his  wife.  They  joined  hands, 
hurried  down  and  out  into  the  open  air  to  find 
that  it  was  twilight  and  sultry.  Surely  the 
garden  was  less  green,  the  flowers  less  fresh, 
the  air  less  balmy,  and  the  water  less  trans 
parent  than  before.  The  song  of  the  birds  had 
changed  into  a  melancholy  chirrup,  and  their 
eyes  glowed  with  threatening  fierceness.  From 
the  water  of  the  basin  the  fish  pierced  the 


tUeirfc  QDrient.  77 


royal  pair  with  their  fiery  eyes,  and  the  breeze 
moved  lamenting  through  the  corridors  and 
trees.  With  a  woman's  instinct  of  impending 
danger,  Almena  led  the  way  out  of  the  court  ; 
but  the  garden  was  plunged  in  a  mist,  which 
made  impossible  a  quick  exit  from  the  sylvan 
entanglements.  While  trying  to  strike  the 
main  avenue,  they  fell  in  with  their  drome 
daries  browsing  contentedly  in  the  thick  of  the 
most  exquisite  shrubbery,  with  neither  saddle 
nor  rope  available  for  use.  The  brutes  looked 
unaccountably  shaggy  ;  they  turned  to  run  at 
the  approach  of  their  master,  and  did  not  stop 
until  they  had  passed  the  gateway  of  which 
Sheddad  was  in  quest.  Here  the  saddles  were 
found,  shabby  and  mouldy,  were  placed  where 
they  belonged,  the  camels  having  submitted 
to  the  goad,  and  the  homeward  journey 
began. 

A  deep  sigh  escaped  Almena's  breast  as  the 
distance  widened  between  them  and  the  en 
chanted  city,  and  when  she  found  words  she 
began  solemnly:  "  Sheddad,  what  is  it  we 
have  seen  and  passed  through  ?  Cold  runs 
my  blood  when  I  think  of  the  place  ;  and  dost 


78  $fje  tDdrb  (Orient. 

thou  mean  to  re-enter  it  as  our  permanent 
home?" 

"  Thou  art  a  woman,  or  thou  wouldst  know 
that  what  Sheddad  conjured  out  of  naught, 
Sheddad  will  as  master  rule  and  own.  Are 
not  those  spirits  subject  to  my  will  ?"  was  the 
imperious  answer. 

"  Thou  wilt  bear  patiently  with  thy  Almena, 
my  lord  ;  but  are  not  the  looming  cities  and 
splendid  gardens  often  seen  in  the  haze  of  the 
desert  the  dread  of  the  lured  Arab,  who, 
mistaking  them  for  fertile  oases,  rushes  to 
destruction  ?  Verily,  the  wiles  of  Eblis  are 
numberless,  and  thy  great  palace  is  destitute 
of  the  sacred  place  to  prove  it  a  work  of  the 
friendly  Jinn.  Thy  father's  end  be  thy  warn 
ing,  O,  light  of  mine  eyes!"  cried  the  woman 
appealingly. 

"  Art  thou  the  wife  of  Sheddad,  or  of  Shed- 
did  ?  Let  woman  be  timid,  but  no  man  be 
craven.  The  signet  on  my  finger  scorns  in 
fernal  traps.  Thou  hast  seen  me  on  the  awful 
throne  destined  to  be  the  worship  of  nations, 
and  thou  art  to  share  in  the  divine  sovereignty 
of  thy  Sheddad. — But,  O,  Almena,  why  is  thy 


®l)e  toeirfc  ODrient.  79 

voice  so  unlike  the  one  I  have  ever  heard  since 
the  days  of  our  youthful  love?  It  sounds  as 
though  thou  art  speaking  to  me  from  the  hol 
low  of  a  cave,"  spoke  the  son  of  Ad  uneasily. 
"  Thou  hast  taken  this  question  from  my 
lips,  my  lord  ;  for  thy  speech  is  so  unfamiliar 
to  my  ear  that,  were  I  not  near  thee,  I  should 
mistake  it  for  an  echo  heard  in  the  mountains 
of  Yemen,"  confessed  the  daughter  of  the 
desert 

There  was  no  time  for  another  remark. 
The  air  swarmed  with  thousands  of  lurid 
Cupids,  each  one  holding  a  tiny  harp  under 
his  left  arm.  Flocking  together,  they  inter 
locked  in  such  a  fashion  as  to  form  a  stupendous 
arch,  perfect  in  shape  and  burning  like  a 
crescent  cut  from  the  effulgent  sun.  On  the 
top  of  the  curve  alighted  one  larger  than  his 
compeers,  his  outstretched  arms  pointing  a 
glittering  tiara  in  the  direction  of  Sheddad, 
whose  advance  was  greeted  with  voluptuous 
strains  : 

"  Hail,  our  chief,  thy  sceptre  sway ! 
Rule  Irem,  Sheddad,  we  obey  1 
Thy  seal  bade  spirits  be  thy  thralls, 
Hail,  god  of  Irem's  magic  halls  !" 


8o  ®lje  toeirb  ©rient. 

With  the  dying  of  the  choral  apostrophe,  the 
treacherous  vision  conjured  by  Eblis  to  dispel 
Almena's  intuitive  fear  of  something  dreadful 
to  come  faded  away.  The  sure-footed  drome 
daries  picked  their  way  among  the  bleak  rocks 
and  the  sand  ridges,  with  not  a  glimmer  to 
break  the  darkness  nor  a  syllable  to  spur 
them  on.  Sheddad  and  Almena  continued 
silent  under  the  overpowering  spell  of  the 
sight,  which  soared  before  their  mental  vision 
long  after  it  had  vanished  to  the  eye. 

Daybreak  found  them  near  a  solitary  cliff 
known  for  the  brackish  water,  oozing  from  one 
of  its  cracks,  and  the  scanty  browsing  nearby 
fit  for  camels.  Turning  to  his  fresh  water 
supply  to  appease  his  thirst,  Sheddad  found 
the  water-skin  not  only  empty,  but  as  dry 
as  an  old  hide,  while  the  figs  he  held  in 
reserve  were  mouldy  and  hard  as  stone.  Al 
mena  had  the  same  experience.  Unaccount 
able  as  appeared  this  discovery,  it  was  less  of 
a  surprise  than  the  cadaverous  aspect  of  hus 
band  and  wife,  as  they  looked  into  each  other's 
faces  in  full  daylight.  "  Thou  dost  not  look 
like  thyself,  my  lord  ;  there  is  neither  blood  in 


tDeir&  ©rient.  81 


thy  veins  nor  a  beam  of  life  in  thine  eye," 
cried  the  startled  mate  of  the  aspiring  god. 

"And  thou  hast  described  thy  own  looks,  O, 
Almena.  —  It  is  but  the  withering  of  our  mortal 
substance  before  our  beings  are  impregnated 
with  immortal  virtue,"  assumed  Sheddad  with 
an  air  of  supreme  indifference,  in  which,  how 
ever,  his  heart  failed  to  share.  Almena's 
ghastly  countenance,  once  the  seat  of  radiant 
beauty,  struck  a  chord  of  unexpressed  pain  in 
the  heart  of  her  besotted  consort. 

The  consternation  of  the  tribe  of  Ad,  on 
learning  that  a  dead  pair  mounted  on  two  bulky 
delools*  was  on  the  point  of  entering  their  en 
campment,  may  be  imagined.  The  news  was 
brought  by  some  Arabs,  who,  perceiving  the 
approach  of  the  strangers,  made  a  sally,  but 
hurried  back  with  the  horrifying  alarm,  "  The 
dead  are  coming  !"  Whoever  could  run  took 
to  his  heels,  leaving  the  infirm  old  and  the  help 
less  young  to  face  the  ghosts,  who  entered 
the  settlement  and  took  possession  of  the 
largest  tent,  the  one  just  vacated  by  Sheddid, 

*  A  delool  is  a  dromedary  trained  and  used  as  a  saddle 
animal,  and  not  as  a  burden  carrier. 


82  $l)e  toeirb  (Drient. 

who  was  among  the  first  to  deny  himself  the 
enjoyment  of  the  uninvited  visitors. 

"If  we  have  undergone  a  change,  so  has 
this  place  and  all  things  hereabout  in  but  a 
few  days  ;  our  young  camels  have  grown  large 
and  fat, — and  who  is  this  sleeping  child  ?" 
asked  Sheddad,  pointing  to  a  half-naked  maiden 
stretched  on  a  mat  upon  the  ground. — "  Can 
this  be  our  Chaviva  ?" 

"Our  daughter!"  exclaimed  the  mother 
hysterically,  recognizing  in  the  girl  of  seven 
the  child  of  two  years.  "Either  we  see 
wrong  or  things  are  wrong,"  added  the  woman, 
greatly  troubled. 

"Neither  this  nor  that;  we  are  not  the 
same,  our  sight  is  not  the  same,  but  the  world 
around  us  is  the  same,  only  that  we  see  it 
magnified,  as  higher  beings  must  see  ;  else 
how  could  the  powers  above  take  cognizance 
of  what  is  going  on  below  ?"  argued  Sheddad 
with  self-approving  plausibility. 

While  Almena  waited  for  her  child  to  waken, 
Sheddad  proceeded  to  investigate  the  neighbor 
hood  with  the  view  of  gathering  an  audience 
to  whom  to  reveal  himself.  In  vain  did  the 


QL\)t  tUdrfc  ODrient.  83 

hapless  old  men  and  women  hide  themselves 
from  the  searching  eye  of  the  cadaverous 
chief ;  he  ferreted  them  out  and  warned  them 
to  beware  of  his  wrath.  "  Inform  the  tribe, 
and  let  Sheddid  know,  that  Sheddad  and  Al- 
mena  have  dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  spirits  as 
god  and  goddess,  and  that  I  am  come  to  take 
you  into  an  Eden  of  endless  felicities,  if  you 
only  say,  '  Lead  on,  Sheddad/  ' 

"  Hast  thou  not  dwelt  with  the  dead  all  that 
time  ?"  asked  a  trembling  crone. 

"  No,  daughter  of  the  noble  tribe  ;  during 
the  five  days  we  have  been  away " 

"Five  years!"  interrupted  a  chorus  of 
voices.  "For  five  years  have  Sheddad  and 
Almena  been  missed  and  mourned  as  lost," 
supplemented  the  aged  female  to  the  unspeak 
able  consternation  of  his  godship.  He  had  spent 
years,  instead  of  hours,  in  the  magic  palace, 
and  everything  contributed  to  confirm  the 
astounding  fact.  Yet,  however  amazed,  Shed- 
dad's  faith  in  his  superhumanity  was  so  deeply 
rooted  that  the  new  revelation  occurred  to  him 
as  but  another  evidence  of  his  supernatural 
destiny.  To  continue  for  five  years  without 


84  ®f)e  tUeirfc  QDrient. 

regular  food  and  sleep  was  to  him  a  most  strik 
ing  proof  of  his  transmutation,  while  the  many 
years  that  passed  like  so  many  hours  attested 
the  blessedness  of  the  seat  he  had  created. 

The  one  man  of  the  tribe,  who  was  most 
concerned  and  least  delighted  with  Sheddad's 
return  from  what  he  believed  to  be  the  real 
beyond,  was  his  own  brother  Sheddid,  who 
wished  himself  a  thousand  miles  away  from 
the  spot  ;  not  that  he  was  jealous  of  the  rights 
attaching  to  his  brother's  primogeniture,  but 
because  he  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  meet 
ing  him,  to  say  nothing  of  his  aversion  to  the 
conjurer's  chimerical  projects.  However,  hav 
ing  nerved  himself  to  the  emergency,  Sheddid 
faced  his  brother  with  the  question  whether 
he  was  determined  to  lead  his  people  into  a 
realm  whence  they  would  return  like  him, 
looking  more  dead  than  alive. — "  An  evil  influ 
ence  sways  thy  heart,  O,  my  brother.  The 
children  of  Ad  are  happy,  why  tempt  them 
into  a  snare  spread  by  Eblis  ?" 

Sheddad  replied  with  a  glowing  outline  of 
the  Eden  in  store  for  them  who  would  follow 
him.  "  That  ye  may  all  be  convinced  of  the 


UJdrfc  ODrient.  85 


truth  my  words  contain,  this  coming  eve  a 
mist  shall  rise  from  the  bosom  of  Hadramaut, 
and  with  it  shall  ascend  the  image  of  the 
palace  and  city  embedded  in  gardens  like 
unto  Paradise.  Remain  in  the  waste  ye  who 
love  it  ;  but  ye  who  prefer  the  marble  habita 
tion,  the  cool  walk,  the  cooler  spring,  the 
crystal  bath,  the  delicious  fruit,  the  mellow 
sunshine,  the  sights  of  wonder,  and  the  rule 
of  the  world,  to  the  dark  tent,  the  scanty  meal 
and  the  arid  region,  —  are  welcome  to  share 
them  with  Sheddad,"  cried  he  with  godlike 
benignity. 

This  offer  was  received  with  a  wild  shout 
by  the  fiery  children  of  the  desert,  and  the 
promised  mirage  was  expected  with  intense 
interest.  Retiring  to  his  tent,  the  mighty 
wizard  summoned  the  chief  of  the  Jinn  and 
charged  him  with  the  task  of  conjuring  up  the 
picture  of  the  Palace  of  Irem.  Sunset  was 
the  signal  for  every  eye  to  turn  toward  the 
desert.  With  nightfall  came  a  pellucid  silveri- 
ness,  which  transformed  the  wilderness  into 
an  atmospheric  canvas  whereon  rose,  looming 
in  perfect  outline  and  majestic  proportions,  the 


86  ®J)e  tDdrb  ODrient. 

city,  palace  and  gardens  of  Irem.  Wild  joy 
yielded  to  a  sober  sense  of  awe  before  him  who 
thus  proved  his  claim  to  worshipful  reverence. 
— "Lead  us,  divine  Sheddad,"  was  the  cry, 
followed  by  the  taking  down  of  tents  and  the 
loading  of  camels,  the  whole  tribe  being  seized 
by  the  one  passion,  to  possess  and  inhabit  the 
grandest  and  happiest  of  cities.  Sheddid  was 
obliged  to  choose  between  remaining  behind 
or  going  with  the  tribe,  and  he  threw  in  his 
lot  with  the  multitude,  his  evil  forebodings 
notwithstanding. 

The  march  was  opened  with  dance  and  song, 
Sheddad  and  Almena  leading  the  motley  cara 
van  ;  but  soon  voices  other  than  human  began 
to  disturb  the  pregnant  silence  of  the  dismal 
waste.  Sheddad's  name  was  heard  articulated 
to  the  accompaniment  of  heart-chilling  laugh 
ter.  As  if  goaded  by  demons  to  madness,  the 
camels  grew  vicious,  throwing  women  and 
children  from  their  backs  and  trampling  them 
to  death,  so  that  everybody  hoped  for  day  to 
deliver  them  from  terror.  But  there  was  no 
break  in  the  night,  although  it  seemed  as  long 
as  three  nights  in  one  ;  and  when  light  finally 


STIje  toeir&  (JDrient.  87 

broke  on  the  caravan  it  came  so  suddenly 
that  it  almost  blinded  the  confused  Arabs. 
And  with  it  came  a  noise  from  On  High,  a 
noise  like  that  of  a  myriad  roaring  lions,  grow 
ing,  swelling  and  reverberating  till  heaven 
appeared  in  uproar,- — earth  trembling,  the 
desert  glowing  like  a  furnace,  the  sands  ris 
ing  and  whirling  like  a  cyclone  of  ignited 
gases,  and  exploding  in  vitriolic  sheets  of  fire. 
Man  and  brute  tried  to  bury  their  heads  in  the 
burning  sands.  The  catastrophe  was  too  terri 
ble  for  flesh  to  survive.  In  his  agony  Sheddad 
felt  the  signet  slip  from  his  finger.  Struck 
deaf  and  dumb,  the  son  of  Ad  perished  with 
his  entire  following,  the  cyclonic  fire  consum 
ing  them  flesh  and  bone.  Only  those  whom 
weakness  or  the  love  of  little  ones  detained 
behind  remained  to  build  up  again  the  almost 
annihilated  tribe  of  Ad. 

Such  was  the  punishment  of  Sheddad  for 
his  aspiration  to  godship.  His  name  lives  in 
Arabia's  legendary  lore.  Down  to  this  day 
Allah  preserves  the  city  and  palace  as  a  monu 
ment  of  divine  retribution,  and  numerous  are 
the  tales  of  straying  pilgrims  or  lost  Bedouins, 


88  Sty*  tDrirfc  (Orient. 

who  have  been  favored  with  a  glimpse  of  it. 
Among  these  is  Kalabah  who,  having  lost 
himself  in  the  desert  while  in  search  of  a 
camel,  suddenly  found  himself  before  the  gate 
of  a  dazzling  city.  He  entered  it,  but  was  so 
overawed  by  the  dead  stillness  therein  that  he 
fled  its  precincts  in  horror,  taking  with  him  an 
invaluable  stone  as  a  memento.  This  he 
showed  to  the  Caliph  Madwigah  in  confirma 
tion  of  his  adventure, — as  is  duly  recorded. 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE 
DAMAVANT. 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE 
DAMAVANT. 


AS  a  somewhat  distant  offshoot  of  the 
Elburz  the  Damavant  is  a  solitary 
pile,  of  imposing  proportions,  gener 
ally  admitted  to  be  Persia's  most  graceful 
mountain.  Seen  from  a  vantage  point  in 
Tehran,  cloud-crowned  Damavant  appears  to 
be  the  real  shoulder  of  sky-bearing  Atlas, 
losing  its  head  in  ether  and  its  foot  in  a  forest 
of  the  semi-tropical  varieties,  dense  to  the 
degree  of  inaccessibility.  The  wild  beast  is 
here  at  home  ;  the  tiger,  bear,  wolf,  panther 
and  wild  boar,  finding  in  these  jungles  an 
abundance  of  food,  a  safe  retreat,  and  a  cool 
spring  to  satisfy  thirst.  While  the  gentler 
slopes  are  covered  by  extensive,  fruit-bearing 
orchards,  there  are  crests  and  hollows  in 

(91) 


92  QLtye  tUeirfc  QDrient. 

the  Elburz  system  which  the  eagle's  eye 
alone  has  seen,  and  there  are  peaks  which, 
but  for  the  sinuous  furrows  cut  by  the  wild 
torrents  after  heavy  showers,  no  human  foot 
could  ever  ascend.  Spirits  are  believed  to 
haunt  the  caves  and  impenetrable  thickets  of 
those  mountains,  a  belief  sustained  by  mock 
ing  echoes  and  multiple  reverberations  started 
by  the  least  noise  ;  and  the  simple  Iranian  folk 
look  up  to  him  with  awe,  who  dares  sojourn 
above  the  settled  line  of  demarcation  dividing 
the  earthly  from  the  unearthly.  The  history 
of  religion,  poetry  and  superstition  is  inextri 
cably  intertwined  with  the  weird  mystery 
which  hangs  over  the  unapproachable  heights 
and  deeps  of  mountains. 

It  was  through  a  bewildering  gorge,  which 
heavy  rain  transforms  into  the  bed  of  a 
wild  torrent,  that,  in  the  year  410  of  the 
Hegira,  two  men  of  note,  preceded  by  four 
experienced  mountain-climbers,  were  toiling 
uphill  determined  to  penetrate  into  the  seem 
ingly  impenetrable  wonderland  of  the  Da- 
mavant's  south-easterly  acclivity.  The  at 
tempt  implied  hard  work  and  great  risk,  and 


"  Determined  to  penetrate  into  the  seemingly  impenetrable 
wonderland  of  the  Damavant."       Page  92. 


(Driimt.  93 

the  wonder  of  it  was  that  one  of  those  two 
men  betrayed  the  unmistakable  signs  which 
indicate  high  age.  Clothed  in  the  habit  of  a 
dervish,  the  white-headed  climber  assisted  his 
infirmity  by  a  strong  staff,  but  now  and  then 
had  to  be  helped  over  an  impediment  by  the 
brawny  arms  of  the  vigilant  attendants.  His 
companion,  who  was  a  much  younger  and 
stronger  man  of  dignified  bearing,  wore  the 
garb  of  nobility  and  the  air  of  command, 
leaving  no  doubt  as  to  his  being  one  in  power 
and  authority.  At  every  step  he  took  in  ad 
vance  his  eye  reverted  to  the  decrepit  figure 
back  of  him.  "  The  return  will  be  easier/'  said 
he  to  the  older  man  with  a  sympathetic  smile. 

"  Thou  hast  spoken  truth  ;  the  return  is  the 
easiest  part ;  the  coming  hither,  and  the  being, 
that  is  the  trouble,"  answered  the  other,  his 
luminous  face  marked  by  the  deep  furrows 
of  age  and  sorrow. 

"With  Mahmud  of  Ghaznin  out  of  thy 
mind,  Firdusi,  would  that  still  be  thy  mood  ?" 
inquired  the  younger  man  in  a  soft  voice. 

"  Mahmud's  court  is  the  sea  of  evil  which 
swallowed  my  island  of  happiness.  Whom 


94 

did  I  murder  that  I  should  be  a  footsore  fugitive 
like  the  blood-stained  son  of  Adam  ?"  cried 
the  old  man  in  a  faltering  tone,  having  stopped 
to  take  breath. 

"  Thy  ethereal  spirit  has  murdered  gross- 
ness,  giving  this  world  a  foretaste  of  Eden. 
Thy  Shah-Namah  is  the  song  of  the  skies, 
and  Eblis,  who  revels  in  discord  and  confusion, 
took  vengeance  on  thee  by  poisoning  Mahmud's 
mind,  O,  Firdusi. — Thy  own  version  shows 
not  that  thy  enemy  is  Mahmud,  but  his  envious 
treasurer.  It  shall  end  well,  however.  Nasir 
Lek's  message  will  not  leave  Mahmud  un 
moved,"  said  the  younger  man,  who  was  the 
Governor  of  Kohistan,  a  friend  of  the  Sultan 
of  Ghaznin,  and  a  boundless  admirer  of  Per 
sia's  famous  poet,  Firdusi. 

"  May  Allah  bless  thy  kindness ;  yea,  it 
shall  end  well  ;  it  is  well  that  things  here 
come  to  an  end, — or  with  poverty  to  sting,  with 
oppression  to  harass,  and  the  dread  of  the 
executioner's  axe  to  torture  one,  life  were  a 
hell  without  redemption.  Ah,  I  have  emptied 
the  cup  of  bitterness  to  its  dregs  !  But  it  can 
not  now  last  long  ;  my  human  frame's  time  of 


toeirfc  (Orient.  95 

final  crumbling  has  been  nearly  reached. 
May  Firdusi's  misery  be  Mahmud's  pillow  !" 
cried  the  poet,  turning  his  liquid  eyes  heaven 
ward. 

By  this  time  the  men  had  ascended  to  a 
height  of  over  nine  thousand  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  and  Tehran  spread  far  away,  like  a 
patch  covered  with  all  kinds  of  mushrooms. 
The  sun  was  near  the  end  of  his  course  and 
the  golden  flood  turned  the  vast  reaches  into  a 
magic  picture  of  light  and  shade,  under  a  dome 
suffused  with  rippled  waves  of  translucent 
purple,  crimson,  silver  and  gold.  With  their 
faces  turned  toward  the  East,  the  Moslems 
knelt  and  lay  prostrate  in  prayer.  This  done, 
the  escort  was  ordered  to  await  their  lord's 
return  where  they  stood,  and  the  two  men 
soon  disappeared  in  a  labyrinth  of  crags,  rocks, 
loose  bowlders,  and  heaps  of  stone,  with  no 
vestige  of  vegetation.  Firdusi  had  the  ques 
tion  at  his  tongue's  end,  how  could  a  sentient 
being  live  in  so  inhospitable  a  region,  in  a  tem 
perature  so  freezing  that  it  chilled  him  to  his 
marrow  ?  But  he  said  nothing.  The  cold  grew 
with  the  dreariness  of  the  surroundings,  and 


96  ©Ije  toeirfc  (Orient. 

now  they  plunged  into  a  sea  of  dense  fog,  still 
climbing  higher  and  higher,  the  younger  assist 
ing  his  older  friend.  At  last  Nasir  brought 
forth  a  horn  to  which  he  gave  wind.  The 
blast  reverberated  with  appalling  effect,  fol 
lowed  by  a  profound  silence.  There  was 
no  answer.  Another  blast  startled  the  ech 
oes  of  the  mountain  a  thousandfold,  ringing 
like  muffled  drums,  and  lo  !  there  came  a 
note  in  response, — a  shrill  note  like  that  of  a 
whistle. 

"We  are  welcome,  and  thou  wilt  be  re 
warded  for  thy  toil,  Firdusi,"  said  Nasir. 

"He  is  thy  mystery  of  the  Damavant," 
observed  the  poet  skeptically. 

"  Thou  wilt  face  a  man  who  might  pass  for 
the  spirit  of  this  mountain  ;  as  to  his  occult 
power,  thou  shalt  thyself  be  judge,"  sug 
gested  Nasir. 

"  Is  one  permitted  to  ask  him  questions  ?" 
inquired  Firdusi. 

"Ask  nothing  until  his  revelations  are  spread 
before  thee  ;  thou  wilt  have  little  to  ask.  The 
juggler's  art  has  often  amused  me,  but  Alma- 
zor's  alembic  has  almost  translated  me  from 


Stye  tXJeirir  (Orient.  97 

one  state  of  being  to  another. — There  he  is  ; 
say  nothing ;  he  knows  my  purpose,  and  will 
read  thy  mind/'  said  the  lord  of  Kohistan 
nervously. 

Firdusi,  looking  in  vain  for  the  outlines  of  a 
human  form,  almost  fell  into  the  arms  of  a 
something  that  wore  a  cloak,  was  very  long- 
bearded,  very  tall,  very  attenuated  and  pale 
as  the  moon,  the  pallor  being  enhanced  by  a 
whiteness  of  hair  which  rivaled  new-fallen 
snow.  The  only  dark  feature  in  the  hermit's 
face  was  one  glaring  eye  hemmed  in  by  a 
cavernous  socket,  the  other  orb  being  sightless 
and  covered  with  skin  like  the  rest  of  the 
countenance. 

Almazor  could  indeed  pass  as  a  prince  of 
ghosts  rather  than  a  creature  held  alive  by  the 
circulation  of  warm  blood,  and  his  speaking  by 
pantomime  added  to  the  awe  inspired  by  his 
inscrutable  nature.  He  stood  in  the  curve  of 
a  semi-circular  enclosure  before  an  aperture 
that  was  not  large  enough  for  a  man  to  enter 
without  crouching  low. 

Without  a  salaam  or  any  ceremony,  Almazor 
turned  and  slipped  like  a  serpent  into  the  gap- 
7 


98  Stye  tXJeirfc  (Orient. 

ing  hole  of  the  rock,  the  others  following  him. 
It  was  brighter  within  than  without,  although 
there  was  nothing  in  sight  to  account  for  the 
brightness.  The  nimbleness  with  which  the 
fleshless  hermit  ascended  and  descended  steep 
and  winding  galleries,  bridges,  and  tunnels, 
leading  now  up  now  down  into  the  core  of 
the  mountain,  was  less  surprising  than  the 
lightness  with  which  the  men  behind  him  kept 
up  the  pace,  as  though  carried  by  a  force  be 
yond  the  law  of  gravitation.  Their  impression 
grew  that  the  top  of  Damavant  could  not  be 
very  far  above  them  when  the  speechless 
guide  stopped  in  a  brightly  illumined  space  of 
considerable  size  and  height,  irregular  as  caves 
are,  but  beautified  by  a  long  vista,  slanting 
upward  not  unlike  a  funnel  of  polished  silver, 
at  the  upper  end  of  which  shone,  in  its  fullest 
circumference,  the  broad  disk  of  the  full  moon. 
A  stalagmite  of  pure  crystal  sparkled  in  the 
moonlight  like  a  reflector,  affording  seats  for 
perhaps  a  score  of  people  ;  at  its  foot  stood  the 
bowl  of  an  unusually  large  chibouque,  its  green 
stem  hanging  like  a  snake  over  the  back  of 
the  glittering  divan,  and  a  box  of  sandal-wood 


tOeirfc  QDrient.  99 


completed  the  equipment  of  the  magic  labora 
tory. 

The  opening  of  the  sandal-wood  box  brought 
to  light  a  strange  herb,  cut  and  dried  like  to 
bacco,  but  diffusing  a  sense-blunting  odor  ;  and 
being  put  into  the  fire-bowl  of  the  chibouque 
and  ignited,  the  mysterious  herb  filled  the  space 
with  a  golden  smoke  and  a  somnolent  atmos 
phere.  Mechanically  complying  with  a  motion 
of  the  hermit's  hand,  Firdusi  seated  himself 
next  to  the  chibouque,  turned  his  eyes  in  the 
direction  of  the  moon's  shining  disk  and,  before 
he  knew  it,  had  the  mouthpiece  of  the  pipe 
between  his  lips.  As  the  smoke  followed  the 
smoker's  breath,  and  rose  in  puffs  and  ringlets 
above  his  head,  he  lost  consciousness  of  his 
environment,  and  realized  a  sense  of  bodily  ex 
pansion,  as  though  his  frame  was  undergoing 
a  transmutation  from  the  solid  to  the  ethereal 
form.  At  the  same  time  the  lunar  orb  assumed 
prodigious  dimensions,  swelling,  spreading,  and 
changing  from  a  mottled  globe  to  a  continent 
of  glaring  peaks  and  black  abysses,  its  enor 
mous  bulk  seeming  to  draw  nearer  and  nearer 
the  beholder,  who  felt  that,  by  an  unaccount- 


ioo  ®l)e  tUnrfc  (Orient. 


able  process,  he  was  being  translated  from  one 
world  to  another.  Utterly  and  willingly  help 
less,  Firdusi  allowed  himself  to  be  tossed  and 
twirled  lightly,  and  his  next  sensation  was  of 
alighting  on  massive  ground  brilliantly  illu 
mined. 

In  his  most  daring  flights  of  imagination  the 
poet  had  never  dreamed  of  the  possibility  of 
such  a  sight  as  the  lunar  world  presented  to 
his  eyes.  The  height  he  stood  upon  dwarfed 
the  forest  of  pointed  pinnacles  around,  and 
afforded  him  an  insight  into  numberless  pits 
as  black  as  the  surface  was  dazzling,  —  if  this 
name  be  applicable  to  an  endless  agglomera 
tion  of  spires,  turrets,  crests,  rocks,  crags, 
precipices,  varied  by  bottomless  abysses,  the 
whole  torn,  broken,  wrenched,  twisted  by 
tremendous  agencies  into  most  fantastic 
shapes  —  a  terrific  waste  of  awful  confusion 
and  eternal  silence.  The  death  of  death  ruled 
here  supreme.  Glass  of  all  shades  and  no 
shade  ;  masses  of  all  colors  and  no  color  ; 
fissures,  clefts  and  chasms  of  all  forms  and  no 
form,  with  none  of  the  elemental  conditions 
which  create  and  further  life,  characterized 


tocirfc  ©dent.  101 


the  appalling  desolation.  How  and  wherefore 
did  this  come  to  be  ?  A  sea  of  once  molten 
ores,  tossed  about  and  blown  upon  by  inter 
stellar  forces,  and  chilled  into  iron  rigidity 
while  sweeping  through  a  freezing  zone,  hangs 
forever  in  radiant  gloom,  the  celestial  mirror 
of  the  sun's  unebbing  light,  when  his  face  is 
turned  away  from  our  globe,  thought  the  poet; 
and  his  eye  swept  afar  in  search  of  relief  from 
the  fierce  light  not  less  than  from  the  abysmal 
deeps  buried  in  darkness. 

With  the  sigh  of  an  uneasy  heart,  Firdusi 
looked  up  to  the  source  of  the  unendurable 
effulgence.  The  blackness  of  the  infinite 
space  on  high  was  intensified  by  the  enormity 
of  the  flaming  sphere,  convulsed  by  fiery 
oceans  in  tempestuous  agitation,  upshooting, 
breaking  and  bursting,  like  furious  billows 
hurled  one  against  another  by  battling  hurri 
canes. 

While  the  beholder  compared  this  aspect  of 
the  sun  with  his  milder  face  as  seen  from  the 
earth,  the  stormy  fire-ball  began  to  sink  visibly. 
Night  hurried  from  the  opposite  heaven  to 
swallow  his  last  ray.  He  disappeared,  as  if 


IO2  fttje  tOeirfc  (Dmnt. 

devoured  by  a  monster,  leaving  no  trail  to 
mark  his  march  through  the  black  dome  of  the 
universe.  Overawed  by  the  stupendous  phe 
nomenon,  Firdusi  closed  his  eyes  in  fervent 
prayer,  praising  Allah  the  Most  Merciful.  A 
more  pleasing  sight  was  another  sphere  which 
now  rose  in  distinct  outlines  above  the  black 
horizon,  much  larger  than  the  moon  as  seen 
from  below,  and  as  much  sweeter,  presenting 
a  figured  disk  of  beautiful  shadings,  zones  and 
fields  of  color  approaching  those  most  familiar 
to  the  human  eye.  How  gracious  He  who 
gave  man  that  blessed  world,  said  the  poet  to 
himself,  and  feasted  his  eyes  on  its  configura 
tions,  which  grew  more  distinct  as  the  globe 
rose  higher,  mildly  radiant  and  sublimely  im 
pressive. 

There  was  no  possibility  of  discerning  dis 
tinctly  one  thing  from  another,  but  Firdusi's 
poetic  fancy  endeavored  to  locate  the  blue 
oceans,  to  recognize  the  green  zones,  and  trace 
the  mountain  ranges  and  the  great  deserts. 
And  as  the  world  wherein  man  is  king  and 
slave,  saint  and  sinner,  angel  and  demon, 
happy  and  wretched,  grew  more  and  more 


tDeirfc  QDrient.  103 


glorious  in  ascent,  the  suffering  bard,  feeling 
in  his  grief  the  woes  of  the  race,  allowed  his 
tears  to  flow  before  speech  came  to  his  relief. 
"  The  Universe  is  thy  secret,  Power  Divine, 
but  O,  for  that  peace  which  dwells  with  Thee 
alone,  that  sight  which  reveals  the  great 
mystery,  and  the  life  which  knows  no  begin 
ning,  no  withering,  and  no  end  !  Who  am  I, 
and  wherefore  thrown  on  that  shore  of  time, 
that  isle  of  space,  to  struggle  with  a  myriad 
myriads  of  my  like,  toiling  and  sighing,  with 
death  as  the  dark  end  of  a  dark  nightmare  ? 
If  man  must  perish  like  the  worm,  then  happy 
the  worm  who  knows  not  his  misery.  Alas, 
in  shreds  scattered  are  the  golden  webs  of 
hope  here.  Who  knows  that  my  dreams  of 
Paradise  are  less  illusory  ?  That  splendid 
world  has  much  to  sweeten  life  made  bitter  by 
the  serpent  in  the  human  breast.  Why  is 
man  so  akin  to  the  brute  ?  Am  I  a  spirit  fallen, 
sent  yonder  to  atone,  and  by  atonement  to  be 
redeemed  ?  Or  am  I  risen  from  things  below 
the  worm  to  my  present  state,  and  progressing 
toward  a  higher,  —  ay,  perchance  the  highest 
life  and  form,  like  Him  who  traced  my  path- 


IO4  ®!)e  tiJeirb  (Drient. 

way  through  the  vale  of  sorrow  and  the  shadow 
of  death  ?  Or  are  the  worm  and  I  but  infini 
tesimal  incidents  in  endless  time  and  space, 
called  forth  by  a  cruel  fate  to  wriggle  in  agony 
and  sink  into  everlasting  night  ?  Power  Divine, 
forbid  this  black  thought  from  blighting  the 
last  flower  of  hope,  lest  chaos  swallow  what  is 
bright  and  sane  in  this  little  world  of  mine." 

As  though  responsive  to  the  mood  of  the 
bard,  the  terrestrial  globe  began  to  undergo  a 
phenomenal  change.  Lurid  and  livid  hues 
overspread  its  luminous  shadings  with  frightful 
velocity,  rushing  in  like  an  ever-thickening 
pall,  and  giving  the  appearance  of  a  red  ball 
engulfed  in  a  cloud  of  cinders,  with  black 
space  as  the  background.  But  the  moon, 
although  obscured  by  the  darkening  of  her 
superior  luminary,  did  not  remain  in  total 
obscurity.  The  reason  of  which  became 
manifest  to  Firdusi  the  moment  he  sent  his 
eyes  elsewhere  to  account  for  the  shimmer. 
What  he  beheld  was  too  much  for  him  to  con 
template  without  a  shudder  of  reverential  awe, 
a  consciousness  of  nothingness  in  face  of  the 
sublime  eternal  ;  and  yet  it  was  but  a  glimpse 


toeirfc  (Orient.  105 


of  the  starry  heavens.  For  every  blinking 
star  visible  to  the  eye  from  sublunar  ground 
there  shone  now  a  score  of  constellations, 
clusters  of  wheeling  spheres,  the  nearest  of 
which  exceeded  the  rainbow  in  circumference, 
transcending  it  in  brilliancy.  The  interstellar 
darkness  acted  as  a  frame  to  set  off  the  glow 
ing  galaxies,  so  that  the  empyrean  suggested 
the  idea  of  an  ethereal  tree,  spreading  its  sun- 
bespangled  crown  throughout  immensity. 

And  the  vast  grew  vaster,  and  the  depths 
deeper,  and  the  wonders  multiplied,  as  host 
after  host  emerged  from  the  bosom  of  infinity, 
wheeling  and  circling  in  celestial  grandeur, 
stirring  boundless  ether  with  soul-enravishing 
strains.  Firdusi's  great  heart  thawed  in 
felicity  ;  from  his  eyes  rolled  the  tear  of 
rapture,  not  unmixed  with  a  blunted  sense  of 
pain,  springing  from  a  lingering  apprehension 
that  it  was  all  but  a  vain  vision.  To  his  ear 
the  music  of  the  spheres  spelt  man's  inscrutable 
destiny,  his  real  woes,  his  elusive  hopes,  his 
unrealized  dreams,  and  his  dark  end.  But 
there  was  a  healing  solace,  an  intuitive  ap 
peasement  in  the  heavenly  exhibition,  so  that 


106  QLtye  tDeirfc  (Orient. 


the  poet,  realizing  the  balm  of  faith,  muttered 
resignedly  : 

"  Power  Divine,  infinite  as  are  Thy  eternal 
glories,  even  I  am  interwoven  in  Thy  impene 
trable  design,  whatever  Thy  purpose.  In  Thy 
perfection  Thou  hast  created  no  being  to  be 
forever  imperfect,  or  to  utterly  perish  after  a 
ray  of  Thy  intelligence  has  once  irradiated 
his  mind." 

Firdusi's  lips  trembled  as  he  lisped  this 
conviction.  His  hand  moved  instinctively  to 
ward  his  eyes,  which  were  veiled  by  a  dim 
ness  that  made  everything  swim  vaguely 
before  his  vision.  The  sense  of  coming  down 
headlong  from  another  world  made  his  weak 
frame  writhe  in  convulsions  of  horror.  When 
he  opened  his  eyes  he  found  himself  in  the 
arms  of  his  friend,  Nasir. 

Great  as  was  the  poet's  creative  faculty,  it 
required  some  time  for  him  to  recall  his  original 
situation,  especially  since  the  cave  presented 
nothing  of  its  previous  features.  There  was 
neither  a  bright  vista  nor  a  moon  to  look  at, 
but  a  dingy  hole  out  of  which  they  had  to 
grope  their  way,  with  no  hermit  to  lead  them. 


tt)dr&  Orient.  107 

When  they  issued  from  the  mountain's  mys 
tery  it  was  broad  daylight ;  they  had  stayed 
therein  the  whole  night.  Soon  the  attendants 
answered  the  call  of  Nasir's  horn,  and  the 
descent  was  made  in  perfect  silence.  They 
arrived  before  the  gates  of  the  palace  simulta 
neously  with  a  courier,  who,  springing  from 
his  saddle,  respectfully  delivered  a  package 
to  the  ruler  of  Kohistan.  "It  is  Mahmud's 
answer  to  my  appeal  in  thy  behalf,  Firdusi," 
observed  Nasir  with  a  beaming  countenance, 
"and  I  know  not  the  Sultan  of  Ghaznin  if  the 
devil  triumphed  this  time." 

They  were  no  sooner  within  the  Governor's 
residence  than  Nasir  broke  the  seal  of  the 
message  to  learn  its  purport,  and  he  read  as 
follows : 

"  In  the  name  of  the  only  true,  most  merci 
ful  God  !  From  Mahmud  of  Ghaznin  to  his 
friend  Nasir  Lek  of  Kohistan,  in  behalf  of 
Abul  Casim  Mansur  Firdusi.  Peace  and 
friendly  greetings.  God  alone  is  great.  May 
truth  and  mercy  prevail. 

"  As  thy  soul  hath  spoken,  so  hath  my 
heart  answered,  moved  by  the  pleadings  of 


io8  (Eije  todrfc  Orient. 

thy  fairness.  Yea,  there  is  no  sweeter  singer 
than  Firdusi,  and  the  blame  of  his  wrong  is 
mine  to  the  extent  of  having  lent  mine  ear  to 
the  slander  of  his  enemies,  whose  mischievous 
head,  Hassan  Meimendi,  has  fallen  under  the 
blow  of  the  executioner's  axe.  The  all- 
knowing  Allah  never  errs,  but  how  can  a 
ruler  of  nations  escape  error  when  misled  by 
them  whom  he  believes  to  be  just,  wise  and 
true  ?  Once  enlightened,  Mahmud  will  neither 
withhold  the  prize  nor  the  honor  due  to  him 
who  glorified  Iran's  immortal  heroes,  inspiring 
the  sons  to  emulate  their  sires.  However 
great,  the  dead  were  dead  forever,  but  for  the 
bard  whose  magic  wand  reclaims  them  from 
the  dust  to  robe  them  in  unfading  splendor,  and 
Persia's  national  song  was  forced  to  wait  the 
coming  of  Firdusi. 

"  As  God  is  merciful,  the  singer  of  the 
Shah-Namah  shall  hereafter  have  no  other 
grievance  than  the  remembrance  of  a  past 
wrong.  A  load  of  gold  larger  than  the  one 
promised  shall  be  delivered  at  his  bidding ; 
and  if  sympathetic  regrets  expressed  by  his 
whilom  friend  and  sovereign  will  give  him 


ttkirfc  ©dent.  109 

solace,  Mahmud  of  Ghaznin  herewith  conveys 
his  sorrow  for  his  unworthy  treatment  of  Abul 
Casim  Mansur  Firdusi,  who  is  welcome  at  my 
court,  welcome  as  far  as  my  rule  extends." 

Bent,  sad  and  silent,  did  Firdusi  listen  to 
the  message  of  the  monarch  who  had  blasted 
his  happiness,  the  tear  alone  betraying  his 
inexpressible  heartache.  The  generous  host 
understood  the  cause  of  his  friend's  grief. 
The  author  of  Iran's  great  epopee  and  of  Yusuf 
and  Zuleikha  had  little  to  expect  of  this  life, 
fear,  want  and  homelessness  having  been  his 
share  at  an  age  when  the  laurel  crown  ought 
to  have  graced  his  head  in  a  home  of  ease  and 
plenty.  He  had  survived  his  only  son,  and 
was  separated  from  his  only  daughter.  And 
that  vision  of  stars  soaring,  as  it  did,  before 
his  fiery  imagination,  served  but  to  intensify 
his  melancholy.  On  earth  his  career  was 
drawing  to  its  close,  what  was  there  to  hope 
for  beyond  the  grave  ? 

Nasir  took  alarm  at  the  change  he  perceived 
in  the  face  and  manner  of  his  friend,  whose 
look  was  suggestive  of  approaching  dissolution. 
"  Thou  art  in  need  of  refreshment,  after  the 


no 

exhausting  ascent,"  said  the  host  sympathet 
ically. 

"  Let  me,  I  pray  thee,  abstain  from  taking 
food  until  the  craving  demands  it,  lest  it  choke 
me,  being  overfull,"  replied  the  poet  with  ill- 
suppressed  emotion. 

Having  appeased  his  own  hunger  by  a  meal 
served  by  slaves,  Nasir  surprised  his  friend  by 
asking  him  in  a  tone  less  reproachful  than 
anxious,  "  So,  have  the  good  tidings  not  broken 
thy  gloom,  O,  Firdusi,  nor  the  mystery  of  the 
Damavant  added  to  thy  spiritual  wealth,  thy 
ethereal  dreams  ?" 

"  Thou  art  good,  and  I  ought  to  be  happy  in 
my  magnanimous  friend,  but  happiness  ever 
frowned  at  my  courting,  and  fled  never  to 
return.  Friend,  I  stand  on  the  brink  of  my 
grave,  with  precious  years  wasted  in  unde 
served  disgrace,  unmitigated  wretchedness. — 
Ah,  and  that  vision  revealed  to  me  in  the  re 
cesses  of  the  Damavant  !  If  thou  knowest  its 
nature  thou  canst  draw  thy  conclusions/'  re 
turned  Firdusi  deeply  moved,  adding:  "Thy 
hermit  is  more  than  thou  dreamest  of  him." 

"  That  is  what  I  looked  for  thee  to  say  ;  but 


(Orient,  in 

Almazor  is  a  secret  bequest  of  my  father,  and 
that  horn  of  mine  is  the  only  signal  he  will 
respond  to  ;  otherwise  he  is  not  to  be  found, 
and  Tehran  knows  no  more  of  him  than  thou 
didst  before  I  led  thee  thither.  He  is  the 
mystery  of  the  Damavant,  more  ghost  than 
man,  living  no  one  knows  how,  a  spirit  among 
spirits,  unaffected  by  hunger,  thirst  or  cold," 
explained  Nasir  with  impressive  earnestness. 

"  A  great  secret  and  a  precious  heirloom  all 
in  one/'  mused  Firdusi. 

"  Thou  hast  said  it ;  my  father's  father  blew 
the  horn  I  sounded  yester-night,  and  saw  per- 
adventure  the  things  thou  and  I  have  seen," 
continued  Nasir. 

"Those  are  sights  to  unhinge  reason,"  as 
serted  the  poet. 

"What  thou  hast  seen  is  thy  secret,  O, 
Firdusi,  and  thou  hast  been  vouchsafed  no 
more  than  thy  spirit  can  assimilate.  Strange 
were  the  words  thou  hast  spoken  in  the  trance 
caused  by  the  smoke  of  the  mysterious  herb, 
as  it  passed  through  thy  system.  That  herb 
crops  up  where  no  earthly  plant  can  exist,  in 
a  spring  which  is  half  liquid  and  half  vapor, 


ii2  QLtye  todrfc  ©rient. 

warm  when  everything  around  is  frozen,  and 
cold  when  the  sun's  heat  beats  against  it  like 
the  deadly  simoom.  Invisible  in  daylight,  the 
herb  betrays  itself  at  rare  intervals  in  the  dead 
of  the  darkest  night  by  its  phosphorescent 
nature.  From  my  father  I  have  it  that,  infused 
into  the  human  frame  in  any  manner,  the  mind 
will  see  whatever  it  is  capable  of  grasping. 
Under  its  influence  I  had  a  glimpse  of  paradise, 
a  clime  and  a  region  impossible  to  describe/' 
imparted  the  host  confidingly. 

A  transient  smile  flitted  over  the  poet's 
countenance  as  his  eyes  met  those  of  his  com 
municative  friend,  and  then  rang  a  voice  deep, 
sonorous,  fluent  and  suave,  conjuring  before 
the  entranced  hearer  sights  appalling  to  think 
of,  illuminated  horrors  rolling  in  ether,  a  world 
of  dismal  deserts,  dead  mountains  and  black 
abysses  :  petrified  chaos  grinning  in  the  face  of 
a  burning  and  seething  sun.  But  when,  pass 
ing  from  the  lunar  desolations  to  the  empyrean 
hosts,  the  master  of  epic  melody  gave  full  play 
to  his  inspired  genius,  bidding  the  stars  to 
march  forth  as  he  had  seen  them  before  the 
spirit's  eye,  Nasir  fell  into  an  ecstasy  of 


(Orient  113 

delight,  sinking  on  his  knees,  weeping,  and 
kissing  the  hands  of  the  white-headed  singer 
he  so  loved  and  revered,  and  crying  :  "  And 
all  this  fails  to  make  thee  happy,  divine  Fir- 
dusi !" 

In  this  enthusiastic  exclamation  of  his  de 
voted  admirer  the  poet  heard  a  reproach.  Is 
not  faith,  blind  faith,  preferable  to  endow 
ments  which  engender  doubt  ?  He  had  had 
his  share  of  fame  and  favor,  but  proved  too 
frail  to  accept  trials  with  the  resignation  en 
joined  by  Islam.  Revolt  against  Allah's  un 
searchable  decree  is  unworthy  of  the  true 
believer.  Zarathustra  lay  prostrate  in  adora 
tion  before  the  sun,  because  to  his  mind  the 
Universe  reveals  nothing  grander  as  a  symbol 
of  divine  Omnipotence ;  how  much  deeper 
ought  he  to  be  impressed  who  has  witnessed 
the  sublime  iprogress  of  a  billion  suns  in  the 
midst  of  their  countless  planets  and  satellites  ? 

"  Thy  words  are  not  meant  as  a  reprimand, 
yet  am  I  startled  at  what  they  imply/'  spoke 
Firdusi  in  a  deliberate  tone.  "  Even  at  my 
age  theories  may  be  revised,  and  new  con 
clusions  reached.  Though  fire-worshippers 


©rient. 


are  the  heroes  of  my  Shah-Namah,  my  faith 
is  that  of  the  Prophet.  But  alas  !  how  banish 
doubt  which  steals  into  one's  head  like  the 
demon  of  insanity  ?  If  we  must  have  a 
theory  let  us  build  on  the  postulate  that  life 
and  death  point  to  harmonizing  relations. 
The  self-evident  relation  of  the  tiniest  blade 
of  grass  to  the  great  sun  is  not  clearer  than 
that  of  the  rain-drop  to  the  cloud  and  the 
ocean,  and  both  prove  that  of  the  human  soul 
to  the  universal  Spirit.  If  the  outer  world  re 
veals  to  us  little  more  than  the  form  of  things, 
a  glimpse  into  their  inner  nature  is  granted  us 
in  our  inner  world  of  thought  and  inspiration. 
When  land  and  sea,  mountain  and  valley,  field 
and  desert,  lake  and  river,  tree  and  blossom, 
fish,  brute,  bird  and  insect,  —  when  the  ele 
ments  of  earth  and  the  stars  of  heaven,  are 
recognized  as  the  visible  manifestations  of  an 
impenetrable  design,  with  man  as  the  crown 
ing  work  in  this  nether  creation,  and  God  as 
the  All-in-All,  the  All-above-All  throughout 
the  Universe,  then  does  the  soul  pass  from 
her  inner  world  into  the  supernatural  domain, 
inspiration  passes  into  revelation,  and  the 


(Orient.  1 1 5 

mind's  peace  and  the  heart's  felicity  insure  a 
foretaste  of  heaven  ;  the  dissonance  of  doubt 
succumbs  to  the  harmony  of  faith,  and  the 
rain-drop,  long  lost  in  the  dark  cracks  and 
crevices  of  the  rugged  rock,  bounds  forth 
in  a  crystal  spring,  rushes  into  the  rivu 
let,  the  river,  eager  to  mix  with  the  ocean's 
vast." 

Whether  Nasir  understood  his  friend's  meta 
physics  or  not,  he  was  the  last  to  question  a 
man's  ideas,  whose  superior  wisdom  he  never 
doubted.  Moslem  friendship  is  kindred  to 
Bedouin  hospitality,  and  Nasir,  who  had  re 
ceived  the  poet  with  all  the  marks  of  distinc 
tion,  made  arrangements  to  signalize  his  de 
parture  in  royal  form.  After  a  feast  given  in 
his  honor  to  the  notables  of  the  province,  the 
famous  bard,  mounted  on  a  fine  dromedary, 
followed  by  another  one  loaded  with  valuable 
presents,  and  escorted  by  a  magnificent  caval 
cade,  issued  hopefully  from  Tehran's  gate, 
accompanied  by  his  loyal  friend. 

"  If  Allah's  mercy  grants  me  the  joys  of 
paradise,  I  will  pray  that  Nasir  Lek  share 
them  with  me,  unless  thy  meed  be  above 


n6  QLl)t  Uteirfc  QDriimt. 


mine,  who  am  less  generous  than  thou,"  were 
Firdusi's  last  words  of  gratitude,  addressed  to 
his  magnanimous  host. 

On  reaching  Tus,  the  place  of  his  birth, 
Firdusi  found  that  the  Sultan's  promised  gold 
had  not  arrived,  and  he  was  greatly  troubled, 
lest  Mahmud's  apologies  were  intended  as  a 
snare  spread  for  his  destruction.  His  appre 
hension  was  not  allayed  by  hearing  incident 
ally  a  child  in  the  street  lisp  a  verse  of  the 
pungent  satire  in  which  he  taunts  Mahmud  as 
the  base-born  son  of  slaves.  The  trend  of 
the  lines  was,  that  had  that  potentate's  pro 
genitors  been  of  noble  blood,  instead  of  cheat 
ing  him  of  the  prize  he  had  promised  for  the 
Shah-Nawah,  he  would  have  set  a  crown  of 
gold  on  his  aged  head. 

Heart-wringing  self-compassion  moved  the 
decrepit  man  to  tears.  His  grievance  is  the 
plaint  of  Iran,  breathed  by  innocents  into  the 
ears  of  sympathetic  mothers.  Once  more  he 
lived  through  the  fearful  moments  of  his  life  ; 
the  hours  of  that  night  when  daybreak  was  to 
see  him  trampled  under  the  feet  of  Mahmud's 
elephants,  because  he  had  resented  the  Sul- 


tDcirfc  (Drient.  117 


tan's  meanness  in  sending  him  sixty  thousand 
pieces  of  silver  instead  of  gold,  dirhems  in  lieu 
of  dinars,  as  agreed  ;  the  moment  when,  flee 
ing  from  the  wrath  of  the  tyrant,  he  sought  a 
refuge  at  Mazenderan,  where  Kabous,  the 
prince  of  Jorjan,  durst  not  harbor  him  for  fear 
of  the  implacable  persecutor  ;  and  that  most 
painful  of  hours  when  El  Kader  Billah,  the 
Caliph  of  Baghdad,  at  first  delighted  with  the 
genius  of  the  fugitive,  asked  him  to  depart 
when  Mahmud  of  Ghaznin  demanded  his  ex 
tradition.  Whelmed  with  grief,  the  broken 
man  returned  to  his  daughter's  home  to  die  in 
her  arms,  resigned  to  the  inscrutable  decree 
of  destiny. 

Just  as  Firdusi's  body  was  carried  out 
through  one  gate  of  Tus,  the  camels  which 
bore  the  Sultan's  gold  entered  the  city  through 
another.  His  daughter  refused  to  accept  it, 
but  an  aged  relative  remembered  his  cherished 
wish  to  see  his  native  place  improved  by 
public  works,  especially  a  healthy  and  plen 
tiful  supply  of  water.  To  comply  with  the 
poet's  generous  wish,  the  treasure  was  taken 
and  invested  for  the  benefit  of  his  lament- 


n8  ©Ije  toeir&  (Orient 


ing  townsmen,  whose  descendants  have  dur 
ing  the  successive  centuries  continued  to 
celebrate  the  passing  of  Iran's  immortal 
singer. 


THE  GODS  IN  EXILE 


THE  GODS  IN  EXILE. 


THE  year  1492  was  a  dark  one  for  the 
sons  of  Shem.  The  fall  of  Granada 
and  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  from 
Spain  are  events  more  generally  commemo 
rated  than  the  equally  dramatic  episode  which 
wound  up  with  the  tragic  death  of  Bajazid,  the 
dashing  caliph  of  Damascus,  surnamed  Yildirim 
— "  the  thunderbolt. "  At  no  time  of  the  year 
is  the  Moslem  world  so  deeply  stirred  as  during 
the  month  Shawall,  the  fifteenth  day  of  which 
marks  the  official  opening  of  the  great  yearly 
pilgrimage  to  Mecca.  The  Haj  is  the  name  of 
the  leading  caravan  which  carries  the  Sultan's 
gift  for  Mohammed's  shrine,  that  holds  the 
black  stone  given  by  an  angel  to  Abraham. 
No  animal  in  creation  has  so  many  devout 
eyes  concentrated  on  its  unbeautiful  outlines 

(121) 


122  ®lje  toeirfc  (Drient. 

as  the  dromedary  which  conveys,  under  a 
canopy  of  green  silk,  the  gorgeously  embroid 
ered  covering  for  the  walls  of  the  Kabah. 
This  Kiswa,  as  it  is  called,  is  made  of  black 
brocade,  and  its  magnificent  golden  border 
spells  divine  utterance  culled  from  the  gems 
of  the  Koran.  Exceeding  it  in  costliness  is  a 
smaller  curtain  sent  along  for  the  Kabah's 
doors  which  swing  in  a  frame  of  silver  and 
gold. 

Even  in  our  days  that  train  starts  from 
Damascus  with  great  ceremony,  is  accompa 
nied  by  the  municipal  dignitaries  led  by  the 
Pasha,  and  escorted  by  a  regiment  in  military 
pomp.  No  Moslem  eye  will  miss  the  oppor 
tunity  of  witnessing  the  muhmil,  or  silken 
canopy,  as  it  swings  on  the  camel's  back, 
shielding  the  sacred  vesture  of  the  most 
sacred  of  Islam's  fanes,  so  that  along  the  line 
of  the  procession  the  immense  concourse  of 
the  faithful  throng  every  available  spot,  from 
the  terraced  roof  down  to  the  gutters  of  the 
ill-paved,  sinuous  lanes. 

Such  is  the  religious  signal  for  hundreds  of 
thousands  to  start  for  the  centre  of  Moslem 


{Deirfc  QDrient  123 


devotion  from  every  quarter  and  corner  as  far 
as  the  crescent  is  revered,  to  fulfil  the  duty  of 
adoring  the  object  of  the  Prophet's  worship. 
For  he  who  has  kissed  that  heavenly  stone  is 
not  alone  cleansed  of  all  his  sins,  but  is  there 
after  distinguished  by  the  surname  of  Hajj. 

The  departure  of  the  Haj  in  the  year  of  the 
discovery  of  the  New  World  was  one  of  un 
precedented  commotion.  It  was  known  that 
a  great  army  was  being  concentrated  and 
hurriedly  drilled,  and  that  Bajazid  was  on  the 
point  of  taking  the  field  himself,  having  gained 
signal  triumphs  in  his  repeated  wars  with 
Christian  powers.  That  he  appeared  in  his 
great  mosque  on  the  day  of  the  Haj,  and, 
surrounded  by  his  bodyguard,  followed  the 
muhmil  out  of  the  city's  confines,  was  inter 
preted  as  an  ominous  sign  of  impending  dan 
ger.  The  Caliph's  countenance  was  scrutin 
ized  with  great  anxiety  by  those  who  caught 
sight  of  it,  and  somber  deductions  passed 
from  lip  to  lip.  As  if  to  confirm  the  popular 
apprehensions,  as  Bajazid  re-entered  the  city, 
a  yelling  saint,  looking  more  like  a  satyr 
than  a  human  being,  emerged  nobody  knew 


124  ®l)e      eirfc  ©dent. 

whence,  and,  planting  himself  in  the  way  of 
the  white  steed  which  carried  the  Commander 
of  the  faithful,  cried  :  "  Bajazid,  Bajazid,  the 
stars  are  against  thee.  Woe  !  Woe  !  Damas 
cus  !  I  see  thee  and  thy  sister  cities  swim  in 
blood,  thy  treasures  plundered,  thy  beauty 
rifled,  thy  daughters  outraged,  with  none  to 
avenge  thee  !  Woe  !  Woe  !  Woe  !"  A  terrible 
frown  darkened  the  brows  of  the  hitherto 
invincible  Caliph,  but  nobody  dared  lay  a 
hand  on  the  prophet  of  evil,  who  was  allowed 
to  lose  himself  in  the  next  grove  unmolested. 
The  saint  is  only  an  instrument  in  the  hand 
of  Allah,  and  before  the  people  had  suffi 
ciently  recovered  from  their  consternation  to 
exchange  a  word  about  the  fateful  prophecy, 
a  courier  came  tearing  along  the  straight  way 
of  the  city  ;  another  one  was  close  behind, 
and  another,  their  horses  panting  for  breath. 
These  events  were  followed  by  a  sleepless 
night  and  feverish  activity  in  the  palace.  Cour 
iers  were  speeding  to  and  fro  ;  regiments  were 
moving  ;  batteries  were  mounted,  and  the  gray 
ing  dawn  saw  the  Sultan  at  the  head  of  a  divi 
sion  marching  out  of  his  citadel  never  to  return. 


(JDricnt.  125 

From  the  hand  of  fate  Bajazid  was  to  drink 
the  dregs  of  the  bitter  cup.  Like  stubble 
before  the  fire,  everything  withered  before 
the  all-engulfing  devastation  of  Timur's  un 
conquerable  host.  Having  swept  nations  and 
races  before  him,  that  celebrated  Tartar  con 
queror  made  short  work  of  Bajazid's  mighty 
army.  In  the  province  of  Angora  host  en 
countered  host,  the  Caliph  sustained  a  crush 
ing  defeat,  his  army  was  shattered,  and  the 
dreaded  "thunderbolt"  was  himself  among 
the  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  a  merciless  foe. 
With  other  cities,  beautiful  Damascus  experi 
enced  the  wrath  of  the  Tartar's  beastly 
nature.  An  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  the 
population  was  followed  by  pillage,  and  what 
ever  could  not  be  plundered  and  taken  off  was 
delivered  to  the  flames.  The  Caliph's  fate 
was  sad  in  the  extreme.  Dragged  along  by 
the  conqueror  as  a  trophy  in  an  iron  palan 
quin,  which  looked  more  like  a  cage  than 
aught  else,  death,  more  gracious  than  the 
savage  Tartar,  finally  delivered  Bajazid  from 
a  life  of  humiliation  and  torture. 

The  wizard  who  had  foretold  the  downfall 


126  ©Ije  tttdr&  ODrient. 

of  the  Caliph  and  the  ruin  of  populous  cities 
was  never  hereafter  seen  within  the  broad 
circuit  of  Damascus,  a  region  exceeding  in  the 
exuberance  of  its  semi-tropic  verdure  and 
panoramic  landscape  the  beauty  of  Granada's 
famous  valley  in  its  palmy  days  of  Moorish 
rule;  The  fatalistic  principle  of  Islam  pre 
cludes  spying  into  the  inscrutable  decrees  of 
Allah,  whose  will  is  fate  from  which  there  is 
neither  appeal  nor  escape.  Why  then  waste 
a  moment  in  identifying  an  oracle  whose 
prophecies  pass  through  him  as  water  passes 
through  a  pipe  ?  It  is  impious  to  search  into 
the  unsearchable. 

There  were  two  young  men  on  the  scene, 
however,  whose  antecedents  account  for  that 
mad  impetuosity  with  which  they  stormed 
onward  in. pursuit  of  the  oracular  saint  as  soon 
as  it  was  possible  for  them  to  elude  the  eyes 
of  the  crowd.  One  was  Damon  Mianolis,  a 
young  Greek,  who  had  inherited  from  his 
father  an  avidity  for  the  occult  science  of 
astrology  ;  the  other  was  Selim  Ebn  Asa,  a 
youthful  Moslem,  who  had  enabled  Damon  to 
witness  in  disguise  the  departure  of  the  Haj. 


(Drient.  127 

Damon's  father  was  a  physician,  but  had  a 
secret  laboratory,  and  had  spent  a  fortune  in 
attempts  at  fathoming  the  mysteries  of  al 
chemy  and  astrology.  Damon  had  been  early 
initiated  into  those  mystic  arcana,  had  learned 
to  cast  the  horologue,  but  was  wofully  disap 
pointed  in  the  matter  of  extracting  gold  from 
other  substances,  and  gave  up  the  hope  of 
ever  discovering  the  elixir  of  life.  The  physi 
cian's  death  had  put  his  son  in  possession 
of  an  extensive  practice  among  his  fellow- 
Christians,  and  Selim's  friendship  was  due  to 
the  Moslem's  ambition  to  acquire  a  knowledge 
of  French,  which  Damon  spoke  fluently. 

The  intimate  relation  of  the  two  young  men 
led  to  free  discussions  of  the  merits  of  their 
respective  creeds,  with  the  result  that  each 
one  believed  a  little  more  in  his  friend's  and  a 
little  less  in  his  own  scheme  of  salvation.  The 
heavenly  city  built  of  gold  and  precious  stones, 
with  twelve  gates  and  glittering  streets, 
through  which  flows  the  river  of  life,  bordered 
on  its  banks  by  the  tree  of  life,  which  bears 
twelve  sorts  of  fruits  and  leaves  of  healing 
virtue,  was  pointed  to  by  Damon  as  the  pat- 


128  Stye  ttJeirfc  (Orient. 

tern  of  Mohammed's  paradise  of  which  Selim 
made  much  in  his  effort  to  convert  his  friend. 
Selim  meant  to  astonish  Damon  by  referring 
to  those  pavilions  of  pearls  in  which  the 
houris  dwell  retired,  each  pearl  sixty  miles  in 
dimension  ;  but  was  met  by  the  even  more 
astonishing  promise  of  St.  John  that  "the 
days  shall  come  when  there  shall  be  vines 
which  shall  have  each  ten  thousand  branches, 
and  every  one  of  these  branches  shall  have  ten 
thousand  lesser  branches,  and  every  one  of 
these  branches  shall  have  ten  thousand  twigs, 
and  every  one  of  the  twigs  shall  have  ten 
thousand  clusters  of  grapes,  and  every  one  of 
these  clusters  shall  bear  ten  thousand  grapes, 
and  every  one  of  these  grapes  being  pressed 
shall  yield  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  gal 
lons  of  wine,  and  when  a  man  shall  take  hold 
of  one  of  those  sacred  branches,  another  one 
shall  cry  out  *  I  am  the  better  branch  ;  take  me 
and  bless  the  Lord.'  "* 

This  left  the  youthful  Moslem  little  to  boast 
of  in  the  concern  of  paradisial   blessedness, 
and  he  was  totally  overwhelmed  by  a  vivid 
*  C/.  Irenasus,  Book  V.,  Chap.  33. 


(Orient.  129 

picture  of  Dante's  elaboration  of  hell.  What 
impressed  Selim,  however,  most  profoundly 
was  Damon's  familiarity  with  the  heavenly 
configurations,  and  his  pretended  ability  to 
read  future  events.  The  fact  is  that  the  late 
Mianolis  had  shortly  before  his  death  predicted 
Bajazid's  overthrow  and  captivity,  and  Selim 
had  received  a  hint  of  the  prediction.  No 
sooner,  therefore,  had  the  saint's  lamentation 
fallen  on  their  ears  than  the  young  men  ex 
changed  a  significant  look,  and  the  next  in 
stant  both  were  on  the  track  of  the  retreating 
soothsayer.  In  but  a  very  few  minutes  Selim 
realized  the  impossibility  of  his  overtaking  the 
fleeing  man,  whose  feet  scarcely  touched  the 
turf ;  but  not  so  Damon,  who  taxed  his  energies 
to  their  uttermost  to  keep  the  winged  fugitive 
in  sight.  Not  a  living  soul  crossed  them  as  they 
hurried  onward,  the  saint  leading  through  a 
maze  of  entangling  thickets  on  pathways  of 
his  own, — the  other  following  almost  out  of 
breath,  determined  not  to  give  up  the  chase. 

In  this  way  miles  had  been  traversed  before 
Damon  noticed  that  they  were  at  the  foot  of 
Anti-Lebanon,  and  that  Selim  was  not  behind 
9 


130  Qtt)e  toeirfc  (Drient. 

him.  The  ascent  had  to  be  made,  or  the  game 
would  have  been  lost  in  a  moment.  From  an 
elevation  of  several  hundred  feet  Damon's 
eye  was  fascinated  by  the  superb  view  of 
Damascus,  set  in  a  garland  of  groves,  bushes 
and  gardens,  distance  enhancing  the  charm  of 
the  exquisite  panorama.  Along  the  banks  of 
Abana,  in  the  heart  of  a  sea  of  verdure,  rose 
a  grand  vision  of  terraced  roofs,  surmounted 
here  and  there  by  swelling  domes,  towering 
minarets,  tipped  with  gilded  crescents,  glitter 
ing  like  burnished  scythes  from  the  thick 
foliage  of  blooming  parks.  An  area  of  thirty 
miles  in  circuit  spread  like  a  dream,  with  a 
variance  of  grouping  and  shading,  and  a  charm 
of  blended  tints  such  as  are  rarely  vouchsafed 
to  the  eye  even  in  regions  of  renowned  pictur- 
esqueness. 

Damon  had  never  before  seen  Damascus  in 
such  a  wreath  of  glory  ;  but  the  few  seconds 
the  sight  exacted  of  his  attention  frustrated  his 
efforts  to  locate  the  wizard's  retreat,  who  had 
disappeared  as  though  dissolved  in  air.  At  the 
same  time  a  feeling  of  exhaustion  rendered  a 
further  ascent  impossible,  coupled  with  a  som- 


©rient.  131 

nolence  which  stole  and  gained  upon  the 
youth,  until,  succumbing  to  the  spell,  he  lay 
stretched  on  the  grass  under  a  tree,  lost  in 
oblivion.  Re-appearing  on  the  scene  as  sud 
denly  as  he  had  vanished,  the  haggard,  half- 
naked  wizard  waved  his  crooked  staff  over  the 
sleeper's  head,  drew  a  circle  around  him, 
pointed  southward,  and  vanished  as  before. 
On  returning  to  consciousness  Damon  bit  his 
tongue  to  assure  himself  that  he  was  really 
awake  ;  his  hand  dashed  across  his  eyes, — it 
was  no  vision.  He  felt  deathly  cold,  although 
his  touch  left  no  doubt  that  he  was  robed  in 
fur,  his  head,  hands  and  feet  covered  by  the 
same  material.  It  was  night,  and  he  in  an 
air-ship,  under  stars  he  had  never  seen  ere 
this,  and  sweeping  with  great  speed  through  a 
world  of  mountains  of  ice  and  frozen  seas,  an 
icy  desolation  buried  in  dense  fogs.  Before 
him  sat  the  controlling  aeronaut,  white  as 
frost  and  silent  as  death  ;  to  his  right  sat  a 
female  in  black,  with  eyes  closed  and  the 
countenance  of  a  corpse  ;  to  his  left  sat  none 
else  but  the  saint  as  he  had  seen  him  in  the 
street  of  Damascus,  with  no  evidence  of  being 


132  ®l)e  ttkirfc  QDrient. 

in  the  least  affected  by  the  intense  cold. 
Damon  suspecting  that  it  was  a  dream  within 
a  dream,  closed  his  eyes  tightly  to  continue 
his  slumber  when  he  heard  a  voice  addressing 
him  thus  :  "  Son  of  Mianolis  the  Wise,  know 
that  thou  art  in  the  chariot  of  Auster,  hurry 
ing  toward  the  great  ice  regions  of  the  south 
with  me,  thy  sire's  friend,  and  this  dame,  the 
Witch  of  Endor,  on  whose  grave  thou  hadst 
taken  thy  rest  this  last  day,  thus  disturb 
ing  her  spirit  that  soars  over  the  tomb  of  the 
body  which  held  it  when  alive.  Evil  would 
have  befallen  thee  but  for  my  interposition  in 
thy  behalf,  and  I  am  indebted  to  thy  father 
for  revelations  in  the  stars  and  in  the  realms 
of  nature,  which  give  me  foresight  and  power 
over  spirits.  What  thou  shalt  see  to-night 
was  the  awe  of  thy  ancestors  and  of  those 
who  gave  rise  to  the  mightiest  progeny  on 
earth  ;  but  hold  thy  breath,  lest  the  frost  con 
geal  thy  blood,  and  be  not  alarmed  even  if 
mountains  quake  and  oceans  burst,"  was  the 
wizard's  reassuring  information. 

Even  before  the  last  word  had  been  spoken 
an  enormous  column  of  lurid  flame  and  livid 


toeirft  ©dent.  133 

smoke  upshot  from  the  heart  of  an  immense 
mountain,  and  in  a  continuous  flow  lost  itself 
in  the  clouds,  a  deluge  of  fire  ascending  and 
descending  with  the  tremendous  crack  and  re 
verberation  of  thunder.  "  That  southernmost 
volcano  shall  mark  for  generations  to  come  the 
extreme  limit  of  human  penetration  into  the 
forbidding  regions  of  ice  ;  the  other  facing  it  to 
eastward  burns  no  more,  but  is  likewise  an 
insurmountable  barrier  set  by  nature  against 
the  intrusion  of  man  into  regions  reserved  for 
the  dethroned  gods.  They  shall  in  future 
years  be  respectively  known  and  shunned  as 
*  Mount  Erebus  '  and  '  Mount  Terror '  "  volun 
teered  the  wizard  as  an  explanation,  but  fur 
ther  mystifying  the  already  confused  aeronaut. 
On  the  highest  peak  of  Terror  the  chariot 
alighted,  and  a  puff  of  Auster's  breath  dis 
solved  the  mists  around  a  group  of  crystal 
palaces,  trimmed  with  gold,  roofed  with  silver, 
clustering  around  an  all-outshining,  sky-tower 
ing  edifice  reaching  up  to  an  ethereal  height, 
overarched  by  a  blazing  span  of  transcen 
dental  rainbowed  glories,  blending  into  golden 
haze  below,  and  an  indefinable  silvery  twilight 


134  ®1)*      eirfc  QDrient. 

above. — "  Asgard,"  were  the  first  syllables 
uttered  by  the  Witch  of  Endor. 

Yes,  it  was  Odin's  celestial  Court*  where, 
from  his  throne,  he  surveyed  heaven  and 
earth,  and  yon  was  He  exalted  high  above  all 
others,  on  his  shoulders  the  ravens  Hugin  and 
Munin,  who,  in  ancient  times,  daily  traversed 
the  world  to  report  the  happenings  among  the 
mortal  race,  and  at  his  feet  the  two  wolves 
Friki  and  Geri,  whom  Odin  feeds  with  the 
meat  set  before  him,  mead  alone  being  suf 
ficient  for  him  who  feeds  all  creatures. 

Overpowering  as  was  the  presence  of  Odin 

*  In  his  narrative  Malek,  from  whom  this  tale  is 
derived,  contrasted  the  Greek  gods  with  those  "  bar 
baric  gods  of  the  north,  who  dwell  in  twilight,  build 
their  palace  of  the  rainbow,  hunt  the  wild  boar,  and 
fling  winged  thunder  at  their  adversaries,"  and  the 
function  he  assigned  to  each  power  seemed  to  leave 
no  doubt  that  he  referred  to  Odin's  Court,  so  that  I 
have  supplied  the  names  that  he  did  not  use.  The 
Orient  contains  many  surprises,  and  it  appealed  to  me 
as  one  of  them  to  find  a  Mohammedan  Parsee  familiar 
with  Norse  mythology  as  a  tradition  of  the  East 
Malek,  however,  always  claimed  that  the  Parsees  are 
the  best  educated  people  in  the  East. 


f&tye  tDdrfc  ©rient.  135 

on  his  throne,  another  spectacle  forced  itself 
on  Damon's  vision.  In  front  of  Valhalla's 
portal,  an  entrance  as  wide  as  the  entire  hall, 
a  desperate  struggle  was  raging  between  re 
doubtable  combatants,  who  struck  at  each 
other  with  appalling  fury.  The  broad  arena 
was  already  strewed  with  numerous  bodies 
cut  to  pieces.  A  relentless  frenzy  appeared 
to  have  seized  those  who  were  still  engaged 
in  the  exterminating  feud,  while  the  gods 
looked  on  with  complacence,  as  though  the 
deathful  affair  was  a  mere  tournament.  When 
the  battle  was  over  there  was  but  one  hero 
left,  and  he  bleeding  from  many  wounds. 
Presently  there  came  a  blast  from  a  horn  in 
Valhalla,  which  sent  a  breath  of  animation 
through  the  bulky  bodies  of  the  slaughtered. 
Their  wounds  closed,  their  severed  limbs 
knitted  and  healed,  their  eyes  opened,  their 
frames  quivered,  straightened  and  pulsated 
with  life.  They  rose,  picked  up  their  weap 
ons,  and  straightway  repaired  to  the  festive 
hall  where  throngs  of  shining  elves  attended 
on  them  with  food  and  drink.  Damon  knew 
then  that  these  were  the  immortal  heroes 


136  ®l)£  tDdrb  (£>rietU. 

who,  having  fallen  in  battle,  were  permitted 
to  dwell  among  the  gods,  partaking  of  the 
meat  of  Shrimnir,  the  ever-reviving  boar,  and 
of  the  mead  of  the  she-goat  Heidrun.  What 
looked  like  a  fierce  battle  was  simply  an 
amusement. 

The  feast  was  rudely  interrupted  by  a  note 
of  alarm  sounded  by  Heimdall,  the  sleepless 
sentinel  of  Odin's  Court.  Heimdall's  business 
is  to  make  the  round  of  the  borders  of  heaven 
to  prevent  intruders  from  ascending  by  the 
way  of  Bifrost,  that  is  the  bridge  built  of  the 
rainbow's  light  which  links  earth  to  Odin's 
ethereal  Court.  He  is  especially  anxious  to 
intercept  the  mischievous  giants  who  are  ever 
on  the  alert  to  annoy  the  powers  of  Asgard. 
As  Heimdall's  ears  are  so  fine  that  he  hears 
growing  of  the  grass  and  of  the  wool  on  a 
sheep's  back,  it  is  no  wonder  that  his  warning 
of  impending  danger  startled  the  gods.  Thialfi, 
Thor's  inseparable  attendant  and  the  swiftest 
messenger  of  Asgard,  was  forthwith  de 
spatched  northward,  whence,  according  to 
Heimdall's  information,  the  storm  was  coming, 
while  the  gods  and  the  heroes  made  ready  for 


ttteirfc  ODrient.  137 


the  emergency,  whatever  it  might  be.  In 
vincible  Thor,  whose  terrific  hammer,  Miolnir, 
splits  mountains,  and  returns  to  the  hand  of 
the  god  when  hurled  against  a  foe,  girded  him 
self  with  his  belt,  which  redoubles  his  terrors, 
and  put  on  his  iron  gloves  to  render  the  shock 
of  his  mallet  irresistible. 

They  soon  beheld  Thialfi  returning  all  as 
tounded,  with  tidings  which  made  Thor's 
veins  swell  with  rage.  —  "A  burning  sun,  O 
great  Odin,  accompanied  by  a  host  of  gods, 
goddesses,  and  their  dependents,  carry  with 
them  hitherward  a  city  of  supernal  palaces, 
and  will  be  upon  us  before  thy  will  can  be 
heard  in  council,"  reported  Thialfi.  Almost 
simultaneous  with  these  words  fell  the  first 
beam  of  a  golden  flood  on  the  brilliant  domes 
and  towers  of  Asgard.  Night  fled  to  the 
darkest  recesses  of  Antarctic  gloom  ;  the  snow 
softened  ;  the  icebergs  glittered  like  mountains 
of  jewels  ;  whale,  dolphin  and  sea-lion  gam 
boled  with  delight,  but  the  black  elves,  who 
dread  the  sun,  were  turned  by  myriads  into 
stones.  Of  vegetable  life  there  was  not  as 
much  as  a  blade  of  grass  to  be  seen  ;  not  a 


138  ®l)e  tiJeirfc  ©rient. 

withered  leaf,  nor  a  dry  shrub  to  greet  the 
radiant  orb.  In  his  all-knowing  wisdom  Odin 
exclaimed:  "It  is  the  Olympian  Thunderer 
who  comes  this  way ;  if  it  means  peace  we 
shall  open  our  hall  to  welcome  him  ;  should  it 
mean  war,  it  will  be  thy  task,  Thor,  to  drive 
him  hence  with  ruin."  Quick  as  thought  did 
Phoebus  suspend  his  blazing  chariot  in  mid- 
heaven,  eastward  of  Mount  Erebus,  which, 
crowned  with  light  and  glory,  was  instant 
aneously  turned  into  an  Olympus  by  the  fiat 
of  creative  powers.  Phoebus  caused  the  earth 
to  thaw  ;  Pan  called  forth  a  garden  of  Hespe 
rian  richness;  Ceres  conjured  up  a  crop  of 
golden  grain  where  glaciers  had  been  slowly 
grinding  their  way  for  numberless  cycles ;  the 
fire-spitting  Erebus  smiled  like  May,  garlanded 
by  Flora,  every  god  and  goddess  contributing 
his  or  her  share  to  create  an  Elysium  in  the 
most  dreary  of  ice-buried  deserts. 

In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  Jupiter 
established  himself  in  a  manner  which  left  in 
Odin  no  doubt  that  the  whilom  sovereign  of 
Olympus  had  come  to  stay.  Thor  burned  for 
action,  but  Odin  restrained  his  impetuous  son, 


©dent.  139 

reminding  him  that  if  he  had  the  rock-blasting 
mallet  to  hurl,  so  had  the  Olympian  chief 
something  to  send  in  return,  which  it  might 
be  wise  to  avoid  if  possible.  First  the  most 
guileful  schemer  of  Odin's  Court  was  to  be 
employed  to  ascertain  the  real  purpose  of  the 
thunderer's  arrival ;  and  this  was  the  malicious 
Loki,  one  of  the  hostile  giants,  who  had  suc 
ceeded  in  securing  a  foothold  in  Asgard. 

Loki's  nature  may  be  judged  by  his  three 
offspring;  they  are  the  wolf  Fenris,  the 
Midgard  serpent,  and  Hela,  that  is  death. 
Fenris  could  not  be  allowed  to  roam  at  large ; 
but  to  chain  him  was  a  problem  the  gods  alone 
could  solve.  Every  kind  of  chain  having 
been  tried  in  vain,  the  mountain  spirits  were 
required  to  fashion  one  that  should  not  yield 
like  cobweb  to  the  teeth  of  the  horrid  monster. 
It  was  made  of  the  beards  of  women,  the 
noise  of  the  cat's  paw,  the  breath  of  fishes, 
the  roots  of  stones,  the  spittle  of  birds,  and 
the  sensitiveness  of  bears ;  it  was  as  pleasant 
to  the  touch  as  a  silken  cord,  and  was  named 
Glupnir.  With  this  fetter  on  his  neck  Fenris 
was  rendered  harmless.  His  twin,  the  Mid- 


140  ®l)e  tOeirfc  dDrient. 

gard  serpent,  is  so  enormous  that  her  length 
is  thrown  around  the  earth  like  a  belt,  she 
holding  her  tail  in  her  mouth.  Hela  dwells  in 
Elvidnir,  a  black  hall  in  dark  Niffleheim.  She 
feeds  on  hunger,  cuts  her  food  with  starva 
tion,  decks  her  bed  with  misery,  employs 
slowness  as  her  maid,  delay  as  her  servant; 
her  threshold  is  precipice,  her  tapestries  burn 
ing  anguish.  The  father  of  this  precious 
triplet  was  not  a  little  pleased  to  be  thus  hon 
ored  with  the  important  embassy  to  the  sove 
reign  of  the  Olympian  dynasty,  especially 
since  the  message  was  but  little  short  of  an 
ultimatum.  Loki's  mind  was  not  of  a  frame 
to  be  surprised  at  anything,  or  intimidated  by 
any  display  of  might ;  but  the  stream  of 
blinding  light  he  had  to  face,  as  he  turned 
toward  the  point  of  his  destination,  caused  his 
eyes  to  water,  wholly  unused  as  he  was  to  a 
splendor  which  made  Asgard's  rainbow  pale, 
as  does  the  moon  before  the  rising  sun. 
Whether  it  was  for  a  purpose  or  by  chance, 
Phcebus  darted  his  rays  with  piercing  pene 
tration,  focussing  them  on  the  visage  of 
Odin's  envoy,  and  his  chariot,  a  master 


ttteirfc  QDrient.  141 


work  of  Hephaestus,  forged  of  glittering  metal, 
and  set  with  resplendent  gems,  moved  in 
an  orbit  with  an  ever-widening  periphery. 
Winged  Mercury  met  Loki  half  way,  bade 
him  stop  by  a  wave  of  his  Caduceus,  and 
required  him  to  give  an  account  of  his  mis 
sion.  Satisfied  with  the  answer,  Mercury  led 
the  way  to  the  gate  of  clouds  guarded  by  the 
goddess  Seasons,  and  Loki  soon  found  himself 
in  the  radiant  palace  of  Jupiter  than  which 
there  could  be  nothing  loftier  and  more  glori 
ous  under  the  stars.  Here  the  deities  meet  in 
council  in  the  assembly  hall  of  their  chief,  and 
here  they  indulge  the  divine  feast  of  ambro 
sia  and  nectar  served  by  the  ineffably  lovely 
goddess  Hebe,  while  Apollo  delights  the  im 
mortals  with  the  ravishing  strains  of  his  lyre, 
accompanied  by  the  song  of  the  nine  Muses. 

Ushered  into  the  awful  presence  of  the 
Olympian  thunderer,  Loki  beheld  himself  in 
the  midst  of  a  galaxy  of  deities,  whose  vari 
ous  attributes  and  aspects  would  have  aston 
ished  him  had  they  not  been  eclipsed  by  the 
overpowering  grandeur  of  the  son  of  Saturnus, 
who,  enthroned  in  supernal  majesty,  with  the 


142  Stye  tUeirfc  (Orient. 

>£gis,  shining  like  the  sun  before  him,  and  his 
thunder-speeding  eagle  next  to  him,  formed  a 
striking  contrast  to  Odin's  dimmer  environ 
ments. 

At  the  sight  of  Loki,  Apollo  struck  his  lyre, 
the  Muses  joined  their  heavenly  voices  to 
swell  the  melody,  and  Hebe  served  to  all 
the  food  and  drink  of  the  gods,  includ 
ing  Odin's  envoy  in  the  divine  conviviality. 
But  ambrosia  and  nectar  affected  Loki's  palate 
so  differently  from  the  meat  of  the  boar 
Shrimnir  and  the  mead  of  the  she-goat  Heid- 
run  that  the  first  quaff  of  the  new  beverage 
made  his  facial  muscles  contract  and  distend 
in  so  ludicrous  a  fashion  that  the  vast  hall  re 
sounded  with  the  laughter  of  the  Olympians. 
Loki  did  not  like  the  idea  of  being  made  the 
butt  of  ridicule,  but,  though  stung  to  the 
quick,  joined  in  the  merriment  at  his  expense, 
there  being  no  hope  for  vengeance  thus  far. 
Required  to  state  the  purport  of  his  message, 
he  began  thus : 

"  It  is  Odin's  wish  that  peace  prevail  be 
twixt  his  Court  and  thine,  O  mighty  Chief, 
and  I  am  sent  to  remind  thee,  that  when  Alfa- 


ttteirfc  (Drieni.  143 

dur  had  doomed  thy  rule  and  his  in  Midgard, 
a  new  order  having  risen  with  a  new  time, 
the  compact  was  that  thou  withdraw  to  the 
fields  swept  by  Boreas,  the  Valkyrior  kind 
ling  the  north  lights  for  thy  benefit,  and  he, 
undeterred  by  severer  cold  and  longer  night, 
should  settle  in  this  drearier  end  of  earth, 
where  Day  returns  but  for  a  double  month, 
allowing  Night  and  Frost  to  rule  supreme. 
What  means  thy  coming  hither  with  such  con 
suming  heat,  such  pomp  as  make  Odin's  bleak 
retreat  unbearable,  unless  he  strive  to  hold  by 
force  what  is  his  by  treaty  ?  In  substance 
this  is  Odin's  message.  As  guests  he  wel 
comes  thee  and  thine  with  all  Valhalla  has  to 
entertain,  and  honors  powers  akin  to  him  in 
weal  and  woe,  who  had  tasted  the  bitters  of 
dethronement  and  exile.  But  if  thy  purpose 
be  to  fix  a  permanent  abode  within  the  bounds 
of  Odin's  hitherto  undisputed  empire,  war  will 
be  the  outcome  ;  and  war  with  Asgard  means 
chaos  and  the  end." 

The  thunderer  shook  his  locks  ;  his  eagle's 
eye  flashed  fire.  Among  the  superior  gods  the 
face  of  Mars  glowed  like  a  meteor.  Minerva 


144  ®b*      eirb  (Drient. 

assumed  a  menacing  air,  and  the  others  gave 
evidence  of  a  stern  determination  to  go  to  the 
bitter  end  in  whatever  part  they  were  able  to 
sustain  the  right  and  dignity  of  their  chal 
lenged  head.  But  Jupiter,  inclined  toward 
conciliation  if  possible,  dismissed  Loki  with 
earnest  mien,  promising  his  answer  should 
reach  Odin  forthwith.  And  forthwith  Mer 
cury  was  at  Loki's  heels,  and  proceeded  with 
him  to  Asgard,  where  Odin  gave  ear  to 
Jupiter's  reply  thus  conveyed. 

"  Great  Odin,  the  cloud-compelling  power 
who  wields  the  thunderbolt,  but  whose  old 
sovereignty  has  been  lamentably  curtailed, 
deplores  his  condition  and  thine.  True,  when 
the  empire  over  Midgard  had  to  be  abandoned 
in  favor  of  Alfadur's  anointed,  the  extremities 
of  earth  alone  afforded  refuge  from  the  uni 
versal  spread  of  those  hateful  inspirations 
which,  like  a  deluge,  submerged  the  better 
world, — synagogue,  church,  or  mosque  sup 
planting  those  pantheons  of  art,  poetry  and 
beauty,  which,  in  the  golden  age  of  dream 
and  fable,  song,  dance  and  free  love,  made 
man  as  happy  as  an  unbridled  child.  When 


(ftlje  ttJeirfc  ©dent.  145 

the  time  had  come  for  our  stern  trials,  it  is 
remembered  that,  to  render  our  banishment 
bearable,  thou  hast  benignly  agreed  to  let  the 
Olympian  dynasty  retreat  northward  of  the 
habitable  world,  thou  and  thine  being  more 
seasoned  to  endure  the  severer  rigors  of  this 
inclement  zone.  But  whither  flee  from  the 
ever-swelling  might  of  the  cross  and  the  cres 
cent  ?  Not  satisfied  with  the  conquest  of 
blessed  Midgard,  their  votaries  dare  penetrate 
the  very  extremes  of  the  frigid  north,  and  the 
cross  may  be  seen  where  neither  wolf  nor 
vulture  can  breathe.  Yea,  the  western  hemi 
sphere,  hitherto  unknown  to  the  world,  is 
being  discovered,  and  ere  long  will  bristle 
with  the  spires  of  a  myriad  churches.  This 
extreme  alone  seems  forever  barred  against 
the  intrusion  of  man,  its  terrors  bringing  death 
to  him  ; — night,  frost  and  sterility  are  here  in 
league  against  mortal  flesh.  Necessity  forced 
upon  our  father  the  resolution  to  seek  once 
more  a  new  home  where,  undisturbed  by  the 
detestable  symbols  of  new  creeds,  we  may  con 
tinue  with  as  much  comfort  as  powers  inalien 
able  insure  for  us.  Jupiter  sends  thee  peace, 


10 


146  ®f)£      eirft  (Drient. 

O,  mighty  Odin,  not  that  he  shrinks  from 
war,  or  heeds  threats,  but  because  of  his  be 
nign  temper — unless  provoked,  when  his  wrath 
would  prove  too  much  even  for  the  giants  on 
whom  Asgard  has  a  watchful  eye.  For  it  is  he 
who  made  Saturnus  disgorge  his  progeny,  and 
holds  him  chained  in  the  deeps  of  Erebus." 

Mercury's  bold  language  came  near  to  cost 
ing  him  his  head.  Thor  was  restrained  with 
difficulty  by  his  father  from  sending  his  ham 
mer  against  the  brazen  front  of  Jupiter's  mes 
senger,  who  was,  however,  allowed  to  depart 
unmolested.  There  was  great  commotion  in 
Valhalla,  and  Odin  sent  his  last  word  to  the 
intruders  requiring  them  to  vacate  the  in 
vaded  heights  forthwith,  or  Asgard  would  pro 
ceed  to  expel  them  by  force.  Thialfi  imparted 
this  warning  to  the  Olympians  and  was  dis 
missed  with  scorn.  Heimdall's  horn,  Giallar, 
summoned  all  the  Gods  and  heroes  to  battle, 
while  Thor  held  his  mallet  in  readiness  to  do 
fearful  execution. 

Odin's  terrific  frown  was  the  signal  given 
for  the  engagement ;  it  isolated  the  hostile  en 
campment,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  an  illu- 


ODrUnt.  147 


mined  island  in  an  ocean  of  dense  night.  The 
moments  of  suspense  were  being  utilized  on 
both  sides  to  call  in  and  muster  all  the  reserves 
available.  Nobody  was  happier  than  the  mis 
chievous  Loki,  who  was  charged  to  communi 
cate  by  the  roots  of  the  Ygdrasil  tree  with  the 
inhabitants  of  Jotunheim,  it  being  the  place 
where  those  prodigious  giants  live,  the  glove 
of  one  of  whom  Thor  had  once  mistaken  for  a 
cavern  wherein  he  spent  a  night,  and  was 
disturbed  in  his  sleep  by  the  snoring  of  the 
colossus  that  shook  him  like  an  earthquake. 

Should  those  Jotuns  be  slow  in  coming, 
Loki  was  to  rouse  Ymir  from  his  rest,  Ymir 
the  terrific  giant  Frost,  whose  blood  is  the 
seas,  whose  body  forms  the  earth,  whose 
bones  are  the  mountains,  whose  skull  is  the 
heavens,  whose  brains  are  the  clouds  and 
what  they  discharge  in  the  shape  of  rain  or 
snow,  and  whose  eyebrows  supplied  the 
material  for  the  making  of  Midgard,  the  habit 
able  portion  of  the  globe.  Ymir  sleeps  under 
the  Ygdrasil  tree  whose  branches  extend  to 
every  quarter  of  the  universe,  while  its  three 
roots  connect  Asgard  with  Niffleheim  and 


148 

Jotunheim.  Ymir's  disturbed  slumbers  make 
the  earth  quake  and  shudder  ;  his  awaking 
would  bring  about  the  end  of  things.  Loki's 
malice  had  never  been  more  gratified,  he  hav 
ing  thus  far  been  an  unwelcome  presence 
among  the  gods  of  Asgard,  who  had  even  once 
gone  to  the  trouble  of  slaying  him  for  treason 
to  Baldur  ;  but  Loki  had  another  life  to  spare, 
and  here  he  was  bustling,  busier  than  ever 
before. 

Neither  were  they  on  Erebus  idle.  The 
response  to  Odin's  threatening  scowl  was  an 
intensified  light  and  such  a  heat  as  began  to 
dissolve  whatever  had  remained  frozen  as 
stone  since  Time  outspread  his  wings.  Phoe 
bus  assumed  the  terrors  of  a  bursting  hell, 
so  that  whatever  life  there  was  in  the  sea 
buried  itself  deep  under  its  surface.  With  a 
due  appreciation  of  his  dreadful  adversaries, 
Jupiter  arrayed  himself  in  his  most  appalling 
panoply,  and  called  on  Tartarus  to  bring  to 
light  the  pack  of  Titans  prominent  among 
whom  were  Cottus,  Briareus  and  Gyes,  each 
one  having  a  hundred  hands  and  fifty  heads, 
well  known  as  the  subduers  of  Saturnus,  who 


toeir&  CfDrient  149 


indulged  the  unpaternal  habit  of  feasting  on 
his  own  offspring.  Useless  to  add,  the  other 
Olympians  were  prepared  for  the  fray,  but 
they  waited  for  the  aggressive  deed  to  come 
from  Asgard. 

It  came  like  a  dart  of  lightning.  Enraged  by 
the  consuming  heat,  Thor  aimed  a  fatal  blow 
at  the  sun's  fiery  steeds,  hoping  to  shatter  at 
one  stroke  the  entire  team.  With  its  unfailing 
accuracy  Miolnir  struck  the  glowing  chariot. 
Phoebus  had  a  narrow  escape,  holding  tightly 
the  reins  ;  the  horses  reared  wildly,  bleeding 
from  many  wounds,  which  closed,  however, 
by  virtue  of  their  deathless  substance.  But 
as  the  mallet,  by  its  nature,  returned  to  Thor's 
grasp,  the  god  roared  like  a  hundred  lions  ;  it 
was  a  red-hot  mass  of  metal  and  could  not  be 
handled  before  another  fling  had  passed  it 
through  a  fathom's  depth  of  a  glacier's  icy 
bed.  By  the  time  Thor  was  ready  to  renew 
his  experiment  he  felt  himself  lifted  off  his 
feet  and  hurled  headlong  into  an  abyss  back 
of  Asgard.  Such  was  the  effect  of  a  light 
ning  bolt  sent  by  Jupiter's  hand,  who  had  as 
cended  the  azurean  height  of  his  citadel 


150  ®1)£  todrb  (Drient. 


whence  he  caused  an  ominous  thunder-cloud 
to  overshadow  the  Court  of  Odin.  Though 
dazed  by  the  blasting  shock  and  the  fall,  Thor 
was  on  his  feet,  and  from  a  cliff,  which  he 
quickly  ascended,  winged  his  hammer  with 
unerring  precision  against  the  cloud-enshroud 
ed  tower  of  Erebus.  Miolnir  was  met  half 
way  by  another  fulmination  of  the  Olympian 
thunderer,  and  the  collision  of  the  missiles 
reverberated  like  the  crack  of  doom. 

Not  less  fierce  was  the  engagement  of  the 
other  powers  on  both  sides,  who,  without  de 
ploying  into  battle  array,  strove  with  prodig 
ious  might,  the  one  stunning  or  hurting  the 
other.  Malicious  Loki,  hugely  amused  to  see 
the  whilom  invincible  Thor  wheel  through 
the  air  and  land  ignominiously  in  a  chasm, 
assumed  the  colossal  proportions  of  the  giant 
race  to  which  he  virtually  belonged,  making 
•  effective  use  of  his  enormous  limbs.  Having 
picked  out  Mars  as  his  target,  he  aimed  an 
iceberg  at  the  Olympian  war-dog  who  was 
inflicting  terrible  punishment  on  the  gods  and 
heroes  of  Asgard  ;  but  Neptune  was  at  hand 
with  a  tremendous  billow  of  tepid  water 


&t)e  tXJeirfc  ODrient.  151 

warmed  by  Phoebus;  it  struck  the  frozen 
mass,  deflecting  it  from  its  fatal  course,  so 
that  there  was  at  once  a  great  splash  and  a 
harmless  crash. 

The  battle  continued  to  rage  along  the  line, 
the  elements  of  fire,  water,  wind  and  earth 
being  wielded  with  whelming  impetuosity. 
Between  Thor  and  Jupiter  the  duel  was  inces 
sant,  with  no  turn  in  favor  of  Odin's  most 
redoubtable  combatant.  In  the  general  con 
fusion  Loki  threw  himself  with  a  force  on  the 
enemy's  flank,  endeavoring  thus  to  attack  the 
gate  which  he  had  been  permitted  to  enter  as 
Odin's  messenger.  From  his  cloudy  height 
the  Olympian  chief  discerned  the  move  of 
the  perfidious  strategist,  brandished  one  of  his 
forked  lightning-bolts,  and  Asgard  beheld  with 
amazement  one  of  its  mightiest  hurled  into 
oblivion. 

Odin  surveyed  the  situation,  and  recognized 
the  hopelessness  of  the  struggle,  even  if  Ymir 
could  be  caused  to  budge  and  the  giants  of 
Jotunheim  arrived  in  time.  Where  Thor 
failed  who  could  succeed  ?  And  the  dreaded 
Titans  were  likely  to  appear  on  the  scene  at 


152  &l)e      drb  (Drient. 

any  moment.  Thialfi  was,  therefore,  directed 
to  recall  Thor,  and  ask  the  Olympians  to  sus 
pend  hostilities,  pending  the  consideration  of 
a  peaceful  settlement.  The  brightening  of  the 
atmosphere  around  Asgard  indicated  Odin's 
change  of  mind.  Jupiter  agreed  to  a  truce, 
and  Phoebus  relaxed  the  severity  of  his  un 
bearable  heat.  Odin  declared  himself  will 
ing  to  withdraw  his  Court  to  the  extreme 
south,  provided  the  Olympians  would  not  fol 
low  him  thither.  Jupiter  swore  the  irrevoca 
ble  oath  attested  by  the  river  Styx,  that  there 
shall  be  no  further  encroachments  hereafter, 
come  what  may.  And  Mercury  was  instruct 
ed  to  convey  peaceful  greetings  to  Odin. 
"  Let  our  brother  know  that  we  properly  ap 
preciate  his  magnanimous  offer  to  withdraw 
further  south;  that  we  reluctantly  waged 
war  against  a  kindred  power  dethroned  by 
Him  who  is  above  all  enthroned.  No,  not 
thus  shall  we  part,  mailed  in  threatening 
panoply,  with  grim  war  bristling  and  sullen. 
Festive  joy,  cordial  intercourse  and  divine 
conviviality  shall  mark  the  season  of  our  con 
ciliation.  Great  Odin  and  his  Court  are  to 


tDdrfc  Orient  153 


be  honored  in  this  hall.  Since  man  has 
ceased  to  pay  us  worshipful  homage,  our  own 
felicity  be  our  sole  care."  In  response  to  this 
effusion  of  friendship  Odin  signified  his  plea 
sure  by  ordering  his  black  elves,  to  whose 
skilful  workmanship  Thor  was  indebted  for  his 
wonderful  hammer,  to  throw  an  arched  span 
of  gold  over  the  hollow  which  separated  the 
mountains  of  Terror  and  Erebus.  But  the 
Ipng-nosed,  dirty  little  artificers  durst  not  face 
Phoebus,  whose  glare  brought  them  death; 
wherefore  the  blazing  chariot  of  the  sun-god 
made  room  for  Aurora  Australis,  when  the 
bridge  rose  like  a  vision,  competing  with  the 
rainbow  in  multicolored  brilliancy.  For  once 
Vulcan  confessed  surprise  at  the  exquisite 
mastery  in  metal  work  in  which  he  had 
thought  himself  unrivalled,  while  Pluto  was 
amazed  at  the  lavishness  of  the  precious  mate 
rial,  which  he  knew  to  be  limited  in  quantity. 
Once  more  did  Heimdall  sound  his  horn,  this 
time  to  proclaim  the  opening  of  the  grand 
feast  in  which  all  the  gods,  goddesses,  heroes 
and  dependencies  of  Asgard  were  required  to 
participate. 


154  ®l)*  ttkirb  (Drient. 

On  their  side  the  Olympians  were  neither 
to  be  eclipsed  in  splendor  nor  outdone  in  all 
that  goes  to  make  a  feast  of  gods.  Robed  in 
supernal  glory,  each  god  and  goddess,  sur 
rounded  by  their  retinues,  wore  the  symbols 
of  their  respective  powers  and  attributes,  but 
stood  overawed  by  the  transcendent  magnifi 
cence  of  their  chief,  whom  no  mortal  eye 
could  behold  without  being  consumed.  From 
his  throne  above  the  clouds,  surrounded  by 
his  family,  who  shone  like  stars,  Jupiter  be 
held  Odin  issue  from  Valhalla,  mounted  on 
his  eight-legged  steed,  Sleipnir,  who  could 
leap  over  mountains.  Him  followed  Frigga 
and  Freya,  his  wife  and  daughter,  the  one  as 
beautiful  as  Iris,  the  other,  who  stood  for 
love,  blushing  like  sweet  Aurora,  escorted  by 
Thor  and  his  inseparable  attendant,  Thialfi. 
Like  a  stream  of  radiant  gold,  flowed  behind 
them  a  host  of  sunny  elves,  diminutive  crea 
tures,  stirring  the  air  with  weird  music.  In 
their  wake,  leading  another  host  of  those  un 
sightly  elves  clad  in  burnished  brass,  and 
blowing  sonorous  instruments  of  the  same 
metal,  came  Frey  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  the 


Stye  toeirfc  ODrient.  155 

boar  Gullinbursti,  along  with  Heimdall  bestrid 
ing  his  horse,  Gulltopp.  The  train's  rear  was 
taken  up  by  a  great  number  of  inferior  gods, 
heroes  and  mountain  giants,  as  well  as  their 
colossal  frost  companions. 

Gratifying  his  mischievous  nature,  Cupid 
perched  himself  on  the  main  entrance  guarded 
by  Seasons,  and  as  this  goddess  opened  it  to 
admit  Odin  and  his  cortege,  a  shower  of  love's 
arrows  descended  on  the  unsuspicious  powers 
of  Asgard,  who  were  received  by  Pluto  and 
Neptune,  and  led  into  the  assembly  hall  of 
Jupiter's  palace.  Here  the  Olympian  dynasty 
were  found  standing,  except  Jupiter  and  Juno, 
who  likewise  rose,  while  Venus,  wearing  the 
Cestus  which  imparts  ineffable  grace  to  the 
wearer,  welcomed  the  head  of  Asgard  and  es 
corted  him  to  a  lofty  throne  at  the  left  hand  of 
her  father.  A  sweet  fragrance  was  diffused 
among  the  star-like  assembly  by  a  heavenly 
smile  from  Jupiter,  who  was  at  once  capti 
vated  by  the  eyes  of  Freya,  the  goddess  of 
love.  Odin  found  it  impossible  to  make  a 
secret  of  his  enchantment  by  Venus,  while 
Thor  had  no  eye  for  anyone  but  Hebe.  Heim- 


156  ®lje  tDdrfc  QDriettt. 


dall  found  in  Juno  the  crown  of  sweetness, 
Thialfi  bowed  to  Diana,  and  Frey  paid  his  ten 
der  respects  to  Minerva.  The  other  deities 
selected  their  partners  in  accordance  with  their 
natural  bent  of  mind,  or  destined  appointment 
in  the  divine  economy. 

Without,  the  subordinate  attendants  grouped 
themselves  harmoniously,  so  that  no  sooner 
were  the  strains  of  Apollo's  lyre  heard,  accom 
panied  by  the  enravishing  song  of  the  Muses, 
than  the  broad  spaces  between  the  dwellings 
of  the  gods  teemed  with  the  airy  dancers. 
Elf,  nymph,  naiad,  satyr  and  dryad  aban 
doned  themselves  to  the  spell  of  Apollo's 
music.  This  was  only  a  faint  reflex  of  what 
was  doing  in  the  star-illumined  hall  of  the 
Olympian  thunderer.  Here  the  celestial  food 
and  beverage  were  being  offered  by  Hebe, 
after  the  first  grand  march  of  the  superior 
gods.  Odin,  who  never  tasted  of  Shrimnir's 
flesh,  and  indulged  in  but  drink  of  the  mead 
of  the  she-goat  Heidrun,  now  emptied  a  capa 
cious  goblet  of  nectar  handed  him  by  Hebe,  at 
the  same  time  that  one  was  given  to  Thor. 
The  head  of  Asgard's  Court  found  it  hard  to 


tUeirfc  QDricnt.  157 


swallow  the  strange  liquid,  so  unlike  mead, 
and,  unable  to  retain  it,  ejected  it  in  a  manner 
to  bring  up  the  Olympian  host  and  his  entire 
house.  As  to  Thor,  the  unspeakable  drink  and 
the  mirth  provoked  by  his  ludicrous  grimaces 
enraged  him  to  such  an  extent  that,  but  for 
the  subduing  charm  of  Hebe's  look,  he  would 
have  dashed  his  mallet  against  the  very  throne 
which  filled  gods  with  awe.  Good  nature  pre 
vailed,  however,  and  as  the  refreshments 
passed  around,  the  hilarity  grew  at  the  cost  of 
Asgard. 

Now  struck  Terpsichore  her  instrument,  the 
graces  joining  to  swell  the  strains  which  cause 
the  gods  to  move  in  rhythmic  measure. 
Looked  at  from  the  vantage  ground  occupied 
by  Damon,  the  divine  spectacle  resembled  a 
scattered  constellation,  the  stars  moving  in 
pairs,  then  grouping  in  clusters,  then  spreading 
in  lines,  straight  and  curved,  then  forming  in 
circles,  then  breaking  up  to  renew  and  multi 
ply  the  harmonious  evolutions.  There  ap 
peared  nothing  to  intercept  the  minutest  de 
tail  of  the  celestial  scene,  and  Damon  was 
intoxicated  with  felicity,  ear  and  eye  being 


1 58  ®lje      eir&  QDrient 

equally  ravished.  While  the  feast  was  at  its 
height,  Erebus  shook  with  a  convulsion  which 
reminded  Jupiter  of  the  summons  he  had  sent 
to  Tartarus,  and  that  the  Titans  had  access  to 
the  upper  world  by  way  of  the  lava-vomiting 
mountain.  At  the  same  instant  Heimdall  gave 
the  alarm,  his  ear  having  recognized  the  tramp 
of  the  Jotuns  for  whom  Odin  had  sent  his  son, 
Hermond  the  Nimble.  Quick  as  were  the 
gods  in  rushing  to  arms,  and  in  manning  every 
strategic  and  vulnerable  point,  they  were  not 
quick  enough  to  prevent  a  collision  between 
Briareus  on  one  side  and  Skrymir  on  the  other, 
each  one  sustained  by  his  gigantic  followers, 
who  tore  up  glaciers  and  made  icebergs  fly  as 
flakes  of  snow  driven  by  a  storm.  As  if  by  a 
tacit  understanding,  Thor  and  Jupiter  com 
bined  their  terrific  instruments  of  destruction, 
hurling  them  from  opposite  directions  at  the 
monstrous  combatants,  who  heaped  Pelion  on 
Ossa  in  their  furious  efforts  to  crush  each 
other.  Briareus  disappeared  like  a  flash  in 
the  womb  of  Erebus,  drawing  his  companions 
after  him  ;  the  Jotuns  took  to  their  heels  as 
fast  as  their  gigantic  limbs  could  carry  them. 


toeirir  (Orient.  159 


But  there  was  no  clearing  of  the  atmosphere. 
The  mountains  trembled,  the  air  grew  op 
pressive  and  seemed  saturated  with  fetid 
gases.  A  moment's  ominous  quiet  was  broken 
by  another  far-reaching  convulsion,  followed 
by  a  crack  which  terrified  the  gods  and  threw 
Damon  out  of  his  seat  deep  down  into  a 
chasm.  The  womb  of  Erebus  opened  wide. 
A  deluge  of  fire  burst  from  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  melting  glaciers  and  causing  frozen  seas 
to  boil.  Heaven  glowed  like  a  furnace,  and 
Damon  beheld  with  terror  a  stream  of  liquid 
metal  pour  down  in  a  cataract  from  a  height 
above  his  head.  His  attempt  to  flee  from  de 
struction  proved  his  limbs  to  be  of  lead  ;  he 
could  not  budge.  He  was  going  to  be  buried 
under  fathoms  of  molten  ore.  Once  more  he 
tried  to  get  to  his  feet,  the  glowing  metal 
bursting  on  him  from  every  side.  In  growing 
terror  he  grasped  for  something  to  assist  him 
in  his  struggle  for  life,  striking  out  right  and 
left.  His  numbness  gave  way  ;  his  limbs  sof 
tened  in  their  joints,  and  a  vitalizing  energy 
enabled  him  to  raise  his  head.  What  did  he 
see  ?  A  full-rounded  moon  shedding  a  silver 


160  f&tye  toeirb  (Orient, 

flood  on  a  slumbering  landscape,  glorified  by  a 
weird  maze  of  far-away  dazzling  white,  varied 
by  domes  and  spires  of  other  hues.  It  was 
neither  Asgard  nor  the  heavenly  city  built  by 
Hephaestus  ;  it  was  Damascus,  oblivious  of 
her  impending  doom.  Damon  was  grateful  to 
be  here,  conscious  of  the  fact  that  the  wizard 
he  had  followed  had  but  sported  with  him. 
Yet  what  he  had  seen  was  worth  the  sacrifice. 
How  much  greater  the  God  of  infinity,  how 
much  holier  than  they  of  Asgard  and  Olym 
pus,  He  with  whom  a  myriad  galaxies  count 
for  naught  as  He  sways  the  boundless  Uni 
verse  by  the  breath  of  His  mouth  ! 


KING  SOLOMON  AND 
ASHMODAI. 


II 


KING  SOLOMON  AND 
ASHMODAI. 


IT  is  well  known  that  after  Solomon  had 
succeeded  his  father  David  as  ruler 
over  Israel  he  had  a  vision  wherein  the 
Lord  gave  him  the  choice  between  riches  and 
wisdom,  and  that  the  youthful  monarch  gave 
wisdom  the  preference.  In  recognition  of  this 
he  was  not  alone  endowed  with  an  under 
standing  heart,  but  was  given  the  means  of 
acquiring  great  wealth,  such  as  enabled  him 
to  build  the  most  gorgeous  of  temples  and  the 
most  sumptuous  of  palaces.  The  secret  of 
Solomon's  power  was  his  possession  of  the 
Omnipotent  Name  engraved  on  his  signet- 
ring,  the  use  of  which  he  was  to  learn  by  an 
accident. 

The  first  great  problem  Solomon  was  called 

(163) 


164  &IK      sifft  (Orient. 

upon  to  solve  was  how  to  build  God's  Temple 
in  compliance  with  the  unaccountable  injunc 
tion  not  to  employ  iron  implements  in  cutting, 
fitting  or  smoothing  the  materials  of  the  sacred 
edifice.  This  prohibition  implied  the  exist 
ence  of  a  rock-splitting  instrument  of  which 
neither  the  King  nor  his  wisest  counselors  had 
any  knowledge.  Eldad  the  lonely  dweller  of 
the  sacred  caves,  the  reader  of  the  stars,  the 
wanderer  of  the  desert,  the  recorder  of  tradi 
tions,  Eldad,  who  at  the  age  of  one  hundred 
and  nineteen  years  had  no  wrinkle  on  his 
face,  preserving  his  faculties  in  all  their 
strength  by  means  of  the  occult  sciences,  this 
wizard  who  was  the  engraver  of  the  Ineffable 
Name  on  the  King's  ring,  was  summoned  to 
appear  before  His  Majesty  to  answer  this 
question : 

"Thou  knowest,  O,  Eldad,  that  I  am  to 
build  the  House  of  God  with  materials  unpre 
pared  by  the  use  of  any  iron  implement; 
no  doubt  Providence  has  provided  the  means 
for  the  raising  of  His  Sanctuary  ;  my  advisers 
have  failed  to  give  me  light  on  the  mystery; 
should  it  be  beyond  thy  power  to  enlighten  me 


fiDeirb  QDrient.  165 


on  this  matter,  I  shall  not  know  whither  to  turn 
for  the  solution  of  the  difficulty,"  spoke  the 
King.  To  whom  Eldad  replied:  "Know,  O 
King,  that  in  the  beginning  of  things,  as  crea 
tion  was  nearing  its  completion,  before  the 
sun  of  the  sixth  day  had  withdrawn  his  last 
mellow  beam  from  the  earth,  fourteen  addi 
tional  wonders  were  called  into  being,  things 
which  the  foreknowledge  of  the  All-knowing 
destined  to  play  a  part  in  this  nether  world. 
They  are,  the  mouth  of  the  earth  that  swal 
lowed  Korah  and  his  rebellious  followers  ;  the 
mouth  of  the  fountain  known  as  Miriam's 
Well,  the  unfailing  spring  whose  flow  accom 
panied  Israel  through  the  desert,  joining  in 
the  hymn  of  praise  ;  the  mouth  of  the  brute 
that  spoke  to  Balaam,  after  the  heathen 
prophet  had  beaten  it  three  times,  he  not 
having  seen  the  angel  that  deterred  it  from 
advancing;  the  multicolored  rainbow  which 
symbolizes  God's  mercy  to  frail  man;  the 
manna,  Israel's  food  for  forty  years;  the  staff 
wherewith  Moses  performed  all  his  miracles; 
the  two  sapphires  out  of  which  the  tablets  of 
the  Law  were  cut  ;  the  gems  that  spelt  the  Ten 


1 66  QLtye  toeir&  (Drient. 

Commandments ;  the  letters  of  the  alphabet ; 
the  sepulchre  of  Moses  never  seen  by  a  mortal 
eye ;  the  ram  destined  to  be  the  substitute  of 
Isaac  when  on  the  point  of  being  sacrificed ; 
the  first  pair  of  tongs,  without  which  no  iron 
could  ever  be  forged;  the  spirits,  both  good 
and  evil,  the  Sabbath  having  begun  before 
bodies  could  be  formed  for  some  souls,  thus 
left  forever  disembodied ;  and  the  Shamir,  a 
worm  not  larger  than  a  grain  of  barley,  but 
stronger  than  rock,  which  it  splits  by  the  mere 
touch.  The  Shamir,  O,  King,  is  the  only 
might  in  creation  to  do  the  work  in  accordance 
with  the  divine  behest.  Those  priceless  gems 
of  which  the  tablets  and  the  letters  thereon 
are  cut  have  been  fashioned  by  the  Shamir." 

"That  Shamir  shall  be  in  my  power,  O, 
Eldad,  it  being  there  for  the  building  of  God's 
house,  as  it  was  there  to  materialize  His  im 
mutable  Word.  But  tell  me  who  on  earth 
claims  possession  of  that  wonderful  creature  ? 
Is  it  to  be  had  by  trade,  purchase,  strategy,  or 
force  ?"  cried  the  King,  deeply  agitated. 

"King,  beyond  what  I  have  told  thee  my 
knowledge  goes  not.  The  abyss  says :  It  is 


QDrient.  167 


not  in  me,  and  the  ocean  says  :  I  own  it  not. 
Hitherto  the  Shamir  has  been  beyond  the 
reach  of  human  eye.  Whether  it  can  be  had, 
the  future  will  tell.  Here  my  wisdom  ends/' 
concluded  the  hoary  wizard,  withdrawing  from 
the  royal  presence.  It  was  late  in  the  even 
ing  when  the  King  retired  to  a  restless  bed. 
Light  and  fitful  as  were  his  slumbers,  his  mind 
was  haunted  by  weird  visions  of  desolate 
scenes,  cliffs  infested  with  fierce  carrion  birds, 
and  chasms  teeming  with  venomous  reptiles. 
The  first  blush  of  the  morning  found  the 
monarch  on  one  of  his  gilded  balconies  from 
which  he  surveyed  the  floral  glories  of  his  ex 
uberant  gardens,  inhaling  the  odoriferous 
breezes  of  the  peaceful  morrow.  Nature 
stood  in  her  loveliness,  and  animate  creation 
seemed  to  breathe  peace.  Suddenly  there 
was  a  scream  of  pain  in  one  of  the  towering 
clusters  of  green,  and  the  next  instant  two 
specimens  of  the  feathered  tribes  dropped  at 
the  feet  of  the  King.  In  the  talons  of  a  car 
nivorous  fowl  was  closed  the  tender  wing  of  a 
trembling  dove  as  white  as  snow.  Moved  by 
the  impulse  of  pity,  the  King  had  his  strong 


1 68  ®rje      nrfc  ODrient. 

grip  on  the  neck  of  the  obscene  bird  of  prey, 
relieving  the  other,  but  not  before  the  vic 
tim's  wing  was  broken.  Great  as  was  the 
anger  of  the  King  to  see  the  poor  dove  bleed 
ing  and  helpless,  his  astonishment  was  greater 
at  the  instantaneous  transformation  of  the 
ferocious  fowl  in  his  grasp ;  fowl  no  more  but 
demon,  black  and  mighty,  swelling  to  enor 
mous  proportions,  and  beseeching  the  royal 
captor  to  set  him  free. — "  Whatever  thou  bid- 
dest  me  I  will  do,  O,  master,  the  ring  on  thy 
finger  giving  thee  power  over  Ashmodai  and  his 
legions,  to  which  I  belong  doing  service  as  com 
manded,"  stated  the  dark  agent  submissively. 

"And  what  cause  underlies  thy  vicious 
onslaught  against  so  pure  a  creature  as  this 
dove  ?  "  asked  Solomon,  the  revelation  break 
ing  on  him  that  his  signet-ring  invested  him 
with  a  power  akin  to  omnipotence. 

"  A  symbol  of  purity,  the  dove  comes  under 
the  ban  of  us  who  are  of  Ashmodai's  dark 
legion,*  explained  the  fiend  with  unreserved 
candor. 

*Talmudic  angelology  assigns  to  Ashmodai  the  infe 
rior  rank  of  presiding  over  the  evil  demons  under  the 


&fje  tDdrfc  (Orient.  169 

"  Thou  shalt  not  go  hence  before  I  learn  of 
thee  who  treasures  the  Shamir,"  said  Solomon 
firmly,  assuming  the  demon  to  know  some 
thing  about  it. 

"  What  art  thou  seeking  of  me,  O,  master, 
who  am  one  of  inferior  rank  bending  to  the 


rule  of  Samael  OKTBH  K3"i  fcO^D  'KiDBftO;  while  Mata- 
tron  is  the  recognized  chief  of  the  infinite  hosts  teeming 
throughout  the  universe,  holding  at  the  same  time  the 
office  of  benign  intercession  between  man  and  Supreme 
Grace,  and  Synadalphon  is  the  next  in  power,  stand 
ing  on  earth  with  his  head  reaching  to  the  highest 
cherubim  (nrnn  bvx  yjn  iBrcni  p«a  iDiy  in« 
Like  Samael  and  Lilith,  Ashmodai  imper-  .(ms 
senates  evil  in  a  variety  of  manifestations.  Neither 
Dumah,  the  prince  of  the  winds  and  the  custodian  of  the 
dead,  nor  Rohab,  the  lord  of  the  ocean,  are  to  be  de 
graded  to  the  rank  of  Ashmodai  who  dwells  in  the 
clouds  but  depends  for  his  sustenance  on  what  the 
earth  produces.  It  is  to  be  remarked,  however,  that 
the  Rabbis  take  the  dark  and  the  bright  powers  to 
represent  physical  forces  co-existent  with  creation 


ro  ma  oiyn  mx-o  rap 
This  idea  is  sustained  by  the  additional  assertion  that  the 
creative  energy  is  incessant,  Omnipotence  calling  forth 
daily  new  ministers  to  carry  out  His  inscrutable  designs. 

rnp  ' 

03  J 


170  ®t)£  tDeirb  (Orient. 

will  of  our  chief  Ashmodai,  the  mighty  spirit 
of  this  world  ?  Him  thou  art  to  question,  be 
cause  he  is  the  one  to  satisfy  thy  demand," 
replied  the  demon.  "  Describe  his  retreat  to 
me  and  its  approaches,  and  thou  shalt  go 
free,"  commanded  the  son  of  David. 

"He  is  to  be  found  where  no  creature  of 
flesh  and  blood  can  long  endure  ;  it  is  not 
heaven  ;  neither  is  it  earth  ;  in  the  heart  of 
the  Orient,  on  the  highest  peak  of  the  highest 
mountain  range,  a  hollow  summit  crowned 
with  eternal  snow,  holding  under  seal  before 
a  recess  of  frozen  crystal  the  purest  spring 
under  the  heaven  to  give  him  drink,  that  is 
Ashmodai's  retreat.  Hither  he  descends  from 
his  cloud-vested  realm,  scans  the  seal  to  as 
sure  himself  that  no  impurity  has  polluted  his 
delicious  beverage,  when,  having  quenched 
his  thirst,  he  re-seals  the  fountain,  gives  audi 
ence  to  his  court,  who  flock  hither  to  receive 
their  orders,  and,  refreshed  by  slumber,  re- 
ascends  to  control  the  elements  and  survey 
the  work  of  his  active  host/'  was  the  informa 
tion,  which  insured  the  demon's  release, 

In   earnest  consultation   with    his   general 


QL\)c  tXJcirfc  (Drient.  171 

Benaiah,  Solomon  matured  the  plan  for  the 
attack  of  Ashmodai's  retreat,  and  ere  long  a 
well-equipped  expedition  of  a  few  picked  men 
headed  by  that  undaunted  warrior,  departed 
secretly.  The  haunt  of  the  demoniac  chief 
was  not  only  far  to  the  south-east  of  the 
Holy  Land,  but  it  was  so  located  that  in  order 
to  approach  it  the  adventurers  had  to  cross 
deserts,  traverse  pestiferous  swamps  infested 
with  scorpions  and  dragons,  ford  wild  rivers, 
and  bridge  over  chasms,  only  to  see  them 
selves  in  a  labyrinth  of  stupendous  rocks, 
supermounted  by  a  chain  of  sky-towering 
peaks  lost  in  dense  fogs.  Benaiah's  eagle  eye 
swept  the  clouded  outlines  of  the  snow-capped 
heights,  trying  in  vain  to  locate  the  spot  to  be 
invaded.  The  impenetrable  curtain  of  shifting 
fogs  precluded  accurate  observation,  and  for 
once  the  dashing  general  felt  that  he  was  more 
in  need  of  daring  and  of  patience  than  of  strat 
egy.  Retiring  with  his  men  to  a  cave  at  the 
base  of  the  mountain,  Benaiah  took  a  position 
which  commanded  the  loftiest  point  of  the  sum 
mit,  hoping  that  something  would  occur  to  be 
tray  the  object  of  his  quest.  Benaiah  was  struck 


172  ®l)e  tUeirfc  QDrient. 

by  the  contrast  of  the  frowning  mountain-crest 
on  one  hand,  and  the  sun's  pure  effulgence  on 
the  other.  As  he  had  his  eyes  riveted  on  the 
broken  summit,  the  dense  mass  of  fog  dark 
ened  perceptibly.  A  noise  as  of  a  boisterous 
sea  repelled  by  a  rocky  shore  was  the  pre 
cursor  of  a  tempest  and  an  earthquake  which 
convulsed  the  entire  region  within  and  with 
out,  thunder  and  lightning  adding  to  the  up 
roar.  The  eternal  snows  on  the  crest  rose  pul 
verized  by  the  fury  of  a  chaotic  storm, — a  hur 
ricane  intermixed  with  flashes  of  red  fire, — the 
whole  reducing  itself  within  a  few  seconds  to 
a  funnel-shaped  whirlwind,  revolving  with 
furious  speed,  its  pivot  centred  in  a  hollow 
betwixt  mighty  cliffs,  rendered  visible  by  the 
convulsive  phenomenon.  Benaiah  knew  what 
it  meant,  and  he  was  confirmed  in  his  assump 
tion  that  Ashmodai  was  descending  by  observ 
ing  the  same  disturbance  a  few  hours  later 
when  the  demon  re-ascended  to  his  airy  em 
pire. 

Like  a  good  strategist,  the  general  took  a 
little  time  to  study  the  situation.  The  ascent 
of  the  mountain  had  to  be  made  with  great 


"  Like  a  thunderbolt  striking  to  the  centre  of  a  hurricane,  the 
demon  t-hot  down.''  Pa<?e   173. 


tXteirfc  (Drient.  173 


care,  and  the  proceedings  of  the  chief  demon 
observed  from  as  near  a  station  as  was  com 
patible  with  safety.  The  climbing  was  at 
tended  with  much  toil  and  great  danger,  but 
the  point  was  reached,  the  ground  surveyed, 
and  a  hiding  place  secured  in  a  recess  barred 
by  a  wall  of  solid  ice.  Here  everything  was 
held  in  readiness  for  the  next  step. 

If  Ashmodai's  descent  startled  the  adven 
turers  from  a  distance,  nearness  to  the  spot 
of  his  landing  filled  them  with  dismay,  the 
atmospheric  and  subterranean  agitation  threat 
ening  to  sweep  them  out  of  their  hiding  place. 
Like  a  thunderbolt  striking  to  the  centre  of  a 
hurricane,  the  demon  shot  down,  unsealed  his 
well,  plunged  his  lips  in  the  beryl  fluid,  draw 
ing  up  a  great  quantity,  and  then  sealed  it  up 
again.  He  was  hardly  ready  when  the  table 
land  around  him  was  thick  with  files  of  de 
mons,  who  arrived  to  report  what  had  been 
accomplished,  and  to  take  orders  for  new  tasks. 
They  were  all  chiefs,  of  various  ranks,  each 
one  having  legions  to  carry  out  his  behests. 
From  the  reports  and  the  schemes  discussed 
it  was  clear  that  they  represented  three  kinds 


174  ®b*    Udr&  QDrient. 

of  spirits  as  to  their  relation  to  mankind — of 
hostility,  friendliness,  and  neutrality.  There 
was  a  division  of  labor, — hostile,  benevolent, 
and  neutral. 

It  is  impossible  to  say  how  the  daring  band 
of  interlopers  would  have  fared  at  the  hands 
of  the  terrible  chief  and  his  demonic  army 
had  not  Benaiah  possessed  the  Omnipotent 
Name  to  shield  him  from  discovery.  As  mat 
ters  stood  the  demons,  unconscious  of  any 
unwelcome  presence,  departed,  leaving  Ash- 
modai  to  take  his  accustomed  slumber,  after 
which  he  darted  up  like  a  flash,  with  the  phe 
nomenal  accompaniment  of  elemental  dis 
turbance  as  before.  Now  came  Benaiah's  op 
portunity.  Without  touching  the  seal  on  the 
cover  of  the  well,  the  contents  were  drawn  out 
through  a  hole  skilfully  bored  beneath  the  sur 
face  of  the  liquid.  This  done,  the  hole  was 
carefully  closed,  and  another  one  was  bored 
on  the  opposite  side  at  a  higher  level,  through 
which  wine  was  poured  to  fill  the  emptied  well. 
With  every  trace  removed  to  avoid  suspicion, 
and  every  detail  ready  for  the  emergency, 
Benaiah  waited  patiently  for  the  next  day 


toeirfc  (JDrient.  175 


when  everything  passed  off  as  before,  except 
the  astonishment  of  the  dreaded  power  when 
he  found  that  his  well  contained  wine  instead 
of  water.  Doomed  by  destiny  to  fall  into  the 
trap  set  for  him,  and  urged  by  a  parching 
thirst,  Ashmodai  took  but  little  time  to  con 
sider  the  advisability  of  drinking  the  intoxi 
cating  beverage,  balancing  Scriptural  texts 
pro  and  con,  and  soon  deciding  to  try  its  effect 
on  his  semi-ethereal  nature.  This  was  just 
what  Solomon  and  his  general  had  counted  on. 
Ashmodai  had  scarcely  dismissed  his  military 
Council  when  the  wine  began  to  do  its  work; 
he  felt  as  he  had  never  felt  before,  and  he 
discussed  with  himself  the  singular  mood  into 
which  he  found  himself  plunged,  in  what  way 
he  could  not  account  for,  the  sensation  being 
wholly  new  in  his  superhuman  experience. 
Sleep  was  on  him,  and  there  he  lay,  stretched 
out  as  helpless  as  a  senseless  block.  Benaiah 
was  at  hand  with  a  chain  rendered  resistless 
by  the  Omnipotent  Name  engraved  upon  its 
links.  Slipping  it  around  the  waist  and  the 
neck  of  the  prince  of  demons,  his  potency 
was  disposed  of.  Ashmodai's  consternation 


176  ®l)e  toeirfc  (IDrient, 

when  awakened  words  cannot  describe.  A 
roar  of  rage  darkened  all  nature,  shook  the 
mountains  to  their  foundation,  and  horrified 
all  his  legions  who  fled  to  hide  themselves  in 
the  deepest  chasms,  even  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth  and  under  the  waters  of  the  sea.  For  a 
moment  Benaiah  lost  his  speech,  while  his 
companions  fell  prostrate  on  the  ground.  The 
demon  assumed  every  shape  of  horror  to  over 
awe  the  enemies  of  his  freedom.  In  a  few 
moments  he  gave  himself  the  deterring  shapes 
of  all  that  is  monstrous  and  deadly  in  nature, 
from  the  enraged  tiger  to  the  hissing  serpent 
whose  bite  is  death;  all  in  vain. — "In  the 
Name  of  the  Most  High,  I,  Benaiah,  chief  of 
King  Solomon's  army,  do  herewith  command 
thee,  Ashmodai,  mighty  Prince  of  genii,  to 
follow  me  to  the  seat  of  the  wisest  King,  who 
needs  thy  aid  to  build  the  Temple  of  God." 

The  conjuration  conquered  all  resistance, 
and  the  demon  was  led  off  disarmed  and  hu 
miliated.  Realising  the  hopelessness  of  gain 
ing  anything  by  violence,  Ashmodai  feigned 
submissiveness,  assumed  the  form  and  man 
ner  of  a  most  polished  and  affable  courtier, 


QDrient.  177 

and,  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  King, 
charmed  His  Majesty  by  discourse  of  things 
far  above  the  comprehension  of  ordinary  men. 

"  Thou  art  to  deliver  to  me  the  Shamir  so 
that  God's  House  be  built  without  the  use  of 
iron  implements/'  said  Solomon  to  Ashmodai. 

"  The  Shamir  is  not  in  my  keeping,  great 
King  ;  the  spirit  of  the  ocean  has  entrusted  it 
to  the  fowl  Awza  that  it  be  preserved  forever 
in  a  state  of  perfection/'  replied  Ashmodai, 
adding,  "and  no  man  can  come  near  that 
bird." 

"Tell  me  where  Awza  breeds  her  young/' 
commanded  the  King. 

"  South  of  the  great  desert  there  is  a  moun 
tain  with  a  towering  cliff  and  walls  so  steep 
and  smooth  that  a  spider  has  difficulty  to  climb 
it.  On  the  top  of  that  rock  is  the  nest  of 
Awza,  a  fowl  with  claws  of  steel  and  eyes  of 
fire,  swift  as  the  swallow,  larger  than  the  vul 
ture,  and  fiercer  than  the  eagle,"  answered 
the  demon. 

Again  Benaiah  was  placed  at  the  head  of 
an  expedition,  and  many  were  the  hardships 
before  the  solitary  pile  rose  before  the  eyes 


178  ®l)je  torirfc  (Orient. 

of  the  indomitable  general.  There  was  neither 
a  bird  to  be  seen  nor  a  nest.  The  head 
of  the  precipitous  rock  was  so  high  above 
the  clouds  that  there  seemed  no  possibility  of 
scaling  it.  But  Benaiah  was  full  of  resources 
and  had  anticipated  the  difficulty  by  bringing 
with  him  a  pair  of  pigeons.  Having  left  a  man 
with  the  female  bird  this  side  of  the  mountain, 
the  general  made  a  detour  for  the  opposite  side 
with  the  male,  tied  a  cord  to  his  foot,  and 
allowed  him  to  rise.  Guided  by  his  instinct, 
the  pigeon  soon  soared  above  the  rock,  de 
scending  to  join  his  mate.  This  accomplished, 
a  heavier  cord  was  trailed  over,  followed  by  a 
still  heavier  rope  strong  enough  to  lift  a  man. 
This  man  was  Benaiah  who,  in  the  dark  of 
night,  was  hauled  up  byihis  attendants.  Awza 
was  thus  to  be  circumvented. 

Great  was  the  general's  joy  when  he  found 
himself  before  the  nest  occupied  by  its  fledg 
lings,  Awza  being  happily  away  in  search  for 
food.  A  transparent  stone  is  laid  securely 
over  the  nest.  Awza  arrives,  finds  her  fledg 
lings  imprisoned,  hungry,  and  crying.  With 
motherly  tenderness  she  hurries  to  split  the 


ODrient.  179 

stone  by  applying  the  Shamir.  Benaiah's 
great  chance  is  come.  From  behind  a  bowlder 
he  bursts  forth  and  frightens  the  bird  ;  she 
drops  the  invaluable  worm.  Benaiah  pounces 
upon  it  like  an  eagle.  The  male  bird  is  soon 
on  the  spot.  A  desperate  struggle  ensues  be 
tween  the  enraged  birds  and  the  daring 
Benaiah.  He  is  armed  against  iron  claws, 
and  is  not  deterred  by  fiery  eyes.  He  has  the 
trophy  and  he  holds  it,  placing  it  in  due  time 
at  the  feet  of  his  master,  to  the  great  surprise 
of  Ashmodai.  Thus  is  the  building  of  God's 
Temple  proceeded  with,  the  Shamir  splitting 
and  fitting  the  materials. 

Solomon's  thirst  for  wisdom  grew  with  his 
growing  consciousness  of  the  painful  limita 
tions  as  regards  its  acquisition  by  man,  and 
Ashmodai  availed  himself  of  the  King's  avidity 
for  knowledge  in  the  hope  of  throwing  him  off 
his  guard.  He  taught  him  the  secrets  of  the 
vegetable  and  mineral  kingdoms,  and  gave  him 
the  clue  to  intercourse  with  animal  creation,  in 
cluding  the  mind-reading  faculty.  As  a  final 
achievement  he  suggested  the  weaving  of  a 
prodigious  air-float  large  enough  to  transport 


i8o  &l)e  tOw&  QDrient, 

the  King  on  his  throne,  an  army  fully  equipped, 
and  a  host  of  spirits.  On  this  air-ship,  sixty 
miles  square,  Solomon,  ever  accompanied  by 
Ashmodai,  traversed  great  distances,  soaring 
above  the  clouds,  higher  than  the  eagle,  and 
looking  down  on  earth  like  a  god.  Woven  by 
genii  of  the  most  subtile  essences  of  nature,  the 
texture  of  that  air-island  was  of  azurean  trans- 
lucency,  green-blue  in  color,  floating  in  the 
sun's  radiance  like  a  rippled  sea  bathed  in  gold. 
But  the  marvel  of  the  marvelous  equipage 
was  its  circular  pavilion  vast  in  extent  and 
fashioned  of  rainbow-tints,  which  photo 
graphed,  enormously  magnified,  whatever 
came  within  the  range  of  the  eye  that  con 
trolled  its  course,  laying  bare  the  mysteries  of 
land  and  ocean,  and  revealing  the  multifarious 
activities  of  the  spirit-world  under  the  rule  of 
Ashmodai.  Here  Solomon's  wonder-throne, 
ascended  by  seven  steps,  each  one  guarded 
by  a  pair  of  magnificent  animals  chosen  from 
the  respective  species  of  the  lion,  the  elephant, 
the  tiger,  the  bear,  the  serpent,  the  antelope, 
and  the  eagle,  stood  on  a  dais,  lofty  and  bril 
liant,  eclipsed  only  by  the  monarch's  crown 


tocirfc  QDrient.  181 


which  rivaled  the  sun  in  splendor.  Solomon 
began  to  believe  that  he  was  really  more  than 
human,  and  Ashmodai  lost  no  chance  to  swell 
the  autocrat's  overbearing  vanity.  Solomon 
was  so  delighted  with  his  triumph  over  the 
chief  of  demons  and  the  deep  secrets  he  had 
wrested  from  him,  that  he  indefinitely  deferred 
setting  him  free  long  after  the  Temple  had 
been  dedicated  with  grand  ceremony,  and, 
thanks  to  rock-bursting  Shamir,  cargoes  of 
gold  were  pouring  into  the  royal  treasury. 

One  early  morning  the  sovereign  of  the 
richest  kingdom  upon  earth  bade  the  winds 
raise  and  waft  his  imponderable  encampment 
toward  the  rising  day,  he  being  enthroned  in 
his  pavilion  with  Ashmodai  at  his  feet.  Up 
soared  the  magic  float,  lighter  than  air,  trans 
parent  as  ether,  and  stronger  than  adamant, 
hurrying  eastward  as  an  undulating  firma 
ment,  suffused  with  purple  and  gold.  The 
soundless  vast  above,  coupled  with  the  radiant 
flood  that  broke  from  the  East,  and  the  amazing 
kaleidoscope  of  animal  and  spirit  life  start- 
lingly  reflected  by  the  walls  of  the  glowing 
pavilion,  overawed  the  mind  of  the  most 


182  ®t)e  toeir&  (Orient. 

daring  of  kings,  who  exclaimed:  "How  great 
the  all-powerful  God,  in  whose  infinity  we 
are  not  more  than  an  atom  in  the  universe  of 
matter !" 

"Great  King,  thy  head  is  the  microcosm  of 
the  immensity  whose  contemplation  over 
powers  thee.  The  heavens  hide  nothing  which 
man  cannot  own  if  he  but  knew  how/'  said 
Ashmodai  with  a  pull  at  his  chain. 

"Thou  art  speaking  riddles,  potent  spirit. 
Give  me  certainty  that  my  grave  is  not  the 
end,  and  thy  chains  shall  be  broken/'  cried 
Solomon. 

"King,  disembodied  thou  art  my  like,  spirit 
of  the  everlasting  Source,  unchanged  by 
change,  but  for  the  time  dimmed,  because  en 
grossed  with  what  is  unethereal  here.  Yet 
even  in  thy  mortal  coil  I  can  give  thee,  if  re 
stored  to  liberty,  by  virtue  of  thy  signet-ring, 
a  glimpse  of  things  above  thy  highest  dreams, 
provided  thou  wilt  give  me  leave  to  stimulate 
thy  spiritual  essence  for  the  transmutation  by 
harmony  such  as,  at  thy  bidding,  I  can  cause 
my  spirits  to  produce/'  promised  Ashmodai. 

"Then  let  the  air  vibrate  with  melody  such 


®l)e  ttJeirfc  (Drient.  183 

as  will  fit  my  grosser  substance  for  thy 
suggested  change,"  commanded  Solomon, 
thoughtlessly. 

At  this  the  atmosphere  trembles  with  the 
voices  of  a  myriad  chorus,  throwing  the  King 
into  an  ecstasy  of  delight,  ravishing  his  soul 
and  causing  his  tears  to  flow.  In  his  ecstatic 
transport  the  monarch  bids  Ashmodai  to  come 
within  the  reach  of  his  hand  ;  a  touch  breaks 
the  chains  of  the  wily  demon,  another  move 
ment  of  the  hand  delivers  to  him  the  signet- 
ring  —  and  then  —  the  symphony  sounds  like 
the  hissing  of  twenty  thousand  serpents, 
night  swallows  the  rays  of  the  sun,  a  burst  as 
of  a  hundred  batteries  shakes  the  firmament, 
a  tremendous  pillar  of  lurid  flame  shoots  up 
into  the  height  of  azure,  from  its  core  darts 
forth  a  bundle  and  vanishes  beyond  the  sea; 
—  it  is  Solomon  whom,  by  the  might  of  his  re 
gained  breath,  Ashmodai  has  hurled  to  the  end 
of  earth,*  allowing  him  to  fall  unhurt;  the 

*  The  old  version  of  the  Talmud  has  it  thus  : 
44  Solomon  sent  Benaiah  to  bring  him  the  Shamir  from 
Ashmodai,  and  he  threw  him  out  of  his  kingdom." 


inuteo 


1 84  ®1)*      drfc  Orient. 

ring  the  demon  drops  into  the  deep.  All  this 
is  the  work  of  a  moment,  after  which  the 
atmosphere  is  clear  and  bright,  the  hissing 
ceases,  and  Solomon  is  on  his  throne, — that  is 
it  is  Ashmodai  in  the  guise  of  Solomon  robed 
in  royalty  to  mock  the  power  of  the  cast 
away  autocrat. 

Who  could  be  wise  enough  to  unmask  the 
fraudulent  usurper  ?  Who  would  blame  a 
spirit  for  avenging  an  outrageous  humiliation  ? 
The  court  was  informed  that  the  chief  of 
demons  had  escaped,  and  everything  went  on 
as  before,  including  the  tender  attention  due 
to  the  inmates  of  the  royal  harem. 

Poor  Solomon  picked  himself  up  in  a  far 
distant  land,  astonished  and  confused.  His 
memory  failed  him  ;  he  stood  transformed  in 
face  and  form,  and  only  darkly  remembered 
that  he  had  been  a  king  somewhere.  From 
his  situation  he  could  well  infer  that  he  had 
had  some  foolish  dream  of  pomp  and  lordship. 
In  reality  he  was  a  homeless  beggar,  shattered 
in  health  and  unsound  in  mind.  Starvation 
forced  him  to  beg  for  bread,  and  vagabonds 
were  his  bed-fellows  in  the  wretched  retreats 


(Elje  tDeirfc  (Orient.  185 

open  to  the  outcasts  of  humanity.  His  hours 
were  divided  between  waking  and  dreaming; 
sane  moments  were  followed  by  invasions  of 
melancholy.  Sometimes  he  doubted  that  his 
name  was  Solomon,  that  the  world  around 
him  was  real.  A  hard  time  was  in  store  for 
the  befooled  wise  man.  Slowly  the  faculty 
of  memory  returned,  and  the  singular  cir 
cumstances  which  placed  him  where  he 
found  himself  rose  clearly  before  his  recol 
lection. 

However,  the  knowledge  of  things  imma 
terial  which  Solomon  had  acquired  by  his  inti 
mate  intercourse  with  Ashmodai  afforded  him 
some  help  and  comfort  during  his  long  wander 
ings  from  place  to  place, — unhonored,  often  the 
target  of  ridicule  to  such  as  heard  him  descant 
on  his  Solomonic  pretensions.  Great  was  his 
pain  on  hearing  one  day  a  strange  traveller 
speak  of  the  real  Solomon's  wisdom,  his  glo 
rious  rule,  and  the  uncounted  wealth  that 
reached  him  by  land  and  sea.  "  Can  it  be 
that  I  am  mad  ?  If  Solomon  reigns  in  Jeru 
salem,  who  am  I  ? "  asked  of  himself  the 
confounded  beggar  king,  and  prayed  humbly 


1 86  ®lje  tDeirb  (JDrienl. 

that  he  might  be  enlightened  as  to  the  nature 
of  his  condition.     His  pride  was  broken. 

One  late  afternoon  the  royal  wayfarer  ar 
rived,  tired  and  hungry,  before  the  gate  of  an 
inhospitable  city.  At  first  the  '.unfriendly  in- 
habitants:denied  him  admission,  but  on  hearing 
him  claim  the  title  of  Solomon  the  Wise,  they 
allowed  his  majesty  to  enter,  convinced  that 
they  had  a  madman  before  them.  Beyond 
this  their  hospitality  did  not  extend.  With  a 
crust  of  bread  as  his  supper,  the  unpitied  mon 
arch  found  no  softer  couch  than  the  turf  of  a 
roofless  enclosure,  with  many  animals  as  his 
companions.  The  night  was  cold,  and  the 
situation  tormenting  for  a  starved  man  who  had 
nothing  wherewith  to  cover  himself.  After  a 
few  hours  of  restless  slumber,  Solomon  felt  his 
limbs  so  badly  cramped  that  he  was  obliged  to 
rise  and  walk  to  keep  his  blood  in  circulation. 
In  the  dimness  of  a  clouded  moon  Solomon 
came  near  an  old  mare  full  of  bruises,  and  so 
emaciated  that  one  had  no  difficulty  in  count 
ing  her  ribs.  Solomon's  experience  rendered 
him  accessible  to  sympathy  with  life  in 
misery,  and  he  derived  sad  consolation  from 


fftlje  tOeirfc  Orient.  187 

the  sight  of  other  creatures  who  were  even 
more  wretched  than  he.  He  reflected  that 
man  is  the  source  of  great  torments  and 
wretchedness  here  below  in  inflicting  pain  on 
creatures  entrusted  him  by  a  kind  Providence. 

It  was  about  midnight  when  the  royal  beg 
gar  rose  again  to  renew  his  walk,  finding  it 
impossible  to  drown  his  worry  in  oblivious 
sleep.  The  moon  shone  brightly,  and  the 
deep  silence  held  the  weird  landscape  in  magic 
repose,  forming  a  strong  contrast  with  the  agi 
tation  suppressed  in  the  king's  bosom.  Pres 
ently  familiar  notes  fell  on  Solomon's  ear ;  it 
was  the  speech  of  the  ill-fated  mare,  who 
spoke  words  of  sorrow  to  her  inexperienced 
family,  giving  them  her  maternal  advice,  now 
that  her  end  was  near.  With  bated  breath 
the  man  listened  to  the  story  of  a  life-long 
agony,  recited  by  a  creature  of  the  noblest 
species  under  human  control. 

"  Yes,  I  have  often  been  whipped  and  kicked 
by  my  cruel  master.  Ah,  hunger,  too,  and 
thirst, — the  heat  by  day  and  the  cold  by  night, 
I  endured  ;  toiling,  toiling  under  the  rod,  and 
now  that  I  am  old  he  has  turned  me  out  that  I 


1 88  Stye  toeirfc  (Orient. 

perish  unsheltered,  unfed.  Too  weak  am  I  to 
drive  off  the  flies  which  torture  me,  and  death 
will  not  come.  Once  I  was  led  to  believe  that 
we  horses  had  an  advantage  over  the  animals 
that  are  slaughtered  for  food.  The  sight  of  a 
victim's  blood  shed  by  the  carnivorous  lust  of 
man  made  me  shudder.  I  have  seen  the  head 
of  the  fowl  twisted  off,  have  seen  lambs  swim 
in  their  blood,  have  seen  the  calf  taken  for 
slaughter  from  the  side  of  her  dam  who  rent 
the  air  with  lamentation,  have  seen  cattle 
felled  by  the  deadly  club  in  the  hand  of  glut 
tonous  man.  And  have  I  not,  in  my  younger 
days,  been  used  in  the  chase  ?  Mounted  on 
me,  my  master,  in  company  of  his  like, 
thought  it  great  sport  to  unleash  a  pack  of 
bloody  hounds  in  pursuit  of  a  frightened  hare, 
fox,  or  deer.  Hunted  down,  the  agonized 
creatures  fell,  to  be  torn  to  pieces.  Man  is  our 
devil,  helpless,  dumb  animals  that  we  are. 
Enough  is  there  in  nature  to  glut  his  hunger. 
The  hen  supplies  him  with  her  eggs,  the  cow 
with  her  milk  and  with  butter  and  cheese, 
and  the  lamb  with  its  wool ;  while  we  carry 
him  and  his  burdens,  multiply  his  strength  in 


toeirfc  Orient.  189 

battle,  and  gratify  his  love  of  pomp  and 
pleasure.  Honey,  fruits,  mushrooms,  and  a 
variety  of  grains  and  vegetables  should  pro 
tect  animate  creation  from  his  deathful  greed." 

"  There  will  be  a  dead  fellow  to-morrow," 
said  a  lusty  colt  made  hot  by  his  dam's  tale 
of  woe.  "  That  master  of  thine  will  not  .long 
be  master  of  mine  ;  one  kick  of  my  hind  legs 
will  do  for  him ;  let  him  try  it  with  me  ;  he 
won't  whip  me  a  second  time." 

" Child,  never  try  it,  if  thou  lovest  me," 
cried  the  intelligent,  but  much-abused  mare. 
"A  vicious  horse,  as  they  brand  one  who 
resents  abuse,  is  sure  to  get  his  double  share 
of  torture ;  I  have  tried  it  and  had  the  worst  of 
it.  Kick  once  your  master  and  his  vengeance 
will  take  years  to  bleed  you  to  death." 

"But  I  won't  stand  it.  I  will  kick  right 
and  left,  break  windows,  bones,  vehicles, 
break  whatever  comes  in  my  way,  and  break 
myself  if  it  must  be.  They  will  be  kept  busy 
watching  my  legs ;  I  won't  stand  it,"  answered 
the  colt  determinedly. 

"Thou  mayest  as  well  kick  against  a  rock 
and  have  thy  hind  legs  broken,  or  throw  thy- 


190  Stye  titeirfc  (Orient 

self  into  a  millpond  and  be  drowned,  as  seek 
revenge  by  hurting  thy  master.  We  are  not 
unavenged,  however.  Nature,  our  common 
mother,  does  not  allow  her  offenders  to  go  un 
punished.  If  man  would  simply  be  content  to 
live  on  what  the  animal  and  vegetable  king 
doms  freely  give  him,  he  would  be  a  much 
happier,  tamer,  healthier  and  nobler  being. 
Chase  and  slaughter  create  that  ferocious 
temper  which  revels  in  bloodshed,  so  that  his 
own  kindred  bleed,  victims  of  his  atrocity. 
Child,  I,  too,  have  revolted  in  my  time.  Ex 
asperated  by  the  cuts  of  a  whip  in  the  hand  of 
a  miscreant,  I  once  made  a  wild  break  for  deliv 
erance,  fled  madly  through  the  street,  dashed 
against  everything  in  my  way,  —  dashed 
against  a  throng  of  men,  women  and  children, 
who  tried  vainly  to  escape, — did  all  the  harm 
I  could,  and  landed  bruised  and  breathless 
among  the  terrified  children  in  an  open  school 
yard,  killing  one  and  hurting  others.  There 
after  I  was  treated  as  the  savage  beast,  was 
kicked  in  and  out  of  time,  my  legs  being  fet 
tered  and  my  head  held  fast  by  a  chain  tied 
to  the  wall.  When  employed,  the  bit  in  my 


tiJcirb  (Orient.  191 


mouth  was  cruelly  tight  ;  and  that  was  all  I 
gained.  A  higher  will  must  have  decreed 
this  to  be  our  lot,"  concluded  the  starving 
mare,  lowering  her  head  mournfully. 

Solomon,  whom  the  equine  group  had  not 
noticed,  approached  and  astonished  them  by 
addressing  them  in  the  language  they  so  well 
understood.  The  luckless  mare  raised  her 
head,  and  her  glazed  eyes  flashed  as  the  soft 
voice  of  the  king  uttered  this: 

"Thou  art  right,  Oh,  noble  creature,  in 
charging  thy  master  with  unkindness  and 
ingratitude  toward  thy  high-spirited  race  that 
has  rendered  him  invaluable  service.  Yea, 
man  is  as  yet  a  child  and  a  slave  of  habit,  but 
will  in  due  time  rise  to  an  understanding  of 
his  duties  toward  the  myriad  lives  around 
him,  not  created  for  wanton  abuse  or  ruthless 
destruction.  Indeed,  he  pays  dearly  for  the 
gratification  of  his  lower  instincts,  the  benign 
Creator  having  meant  him  to  be  prompted  by 
the  gentler,  deeper,  sweeter  qualities  of  his 
being.  The  day  will  come  when  he  will  shud 
der  at  the  idea  of  sustaining  his  life  by  the 
immolation  of  others,  when  the  flesh-eater  will 


192  &rje  tDdrfc  Orient. 

be  seen  in  the  same  light  as  the  cannibal. — 
My  name  is  Solomon,  and  in  my  kingdom  they 
called  me  The  Wise,  but  my  wisdom  fails  to 
enlighten  me  why  things  are  as  they  are  when 
they  could  be  so  much  better.  Believe  me, 
man  has  tortures  of  body  and  soul,  and  has, 
like  you,  his  devil  to  plague  and  circumvent 
him.  Holy  Writ  contains  beautiful  words  in 
praise  of  the  horse,  he,  armed  with  thunder, 
nobler  than  the  lion,  fearless  as  the  eagle, 
graceful  as  the  zebra,  strong  as  the  wave, 
quick  as  the  wind,  the  pride  of  the  warrior, 
the  pleasure  of  the  prince,  the  seat  of  the 
king.  Once  restored  to  power,  I  will  remem 
ber  the  burden  of  thy  grievance,  faithful  mare, 
and  thy  race  will  be  benefited  as  far  as  my 
will  shall  prevail." 

The  horses  were  pleased  with  the  sympa 
thetic  words  of  their  distinguished  friend,  and 
the  ambitious  colt  offered  to  carry  him  as  far 
as  he  wished.  Solomon  had  plenty  of  leisure  to 
explain  the  difficulty  into  which  he  had  been 
plunged  by  the  wiles  of  Ashmodai,  and  that  he 
was  sure  of  restoration  the  moment  he  could 
enter  the  gates  of  his  beloved  Jerusalem. 


tDeirfc  QDrient.  193 

"May  thy  wisdom,  thy  kindness,  and  thy 
kingdom  spread  far  and  wide,  Oh,  King  !  so 
that  my  helpless  offsprings  be  spared  the  tor 
ments  that  I  have  endured  during  the  length 
of  my  days  !"  prayed  the  mare,  with  a  tremor 
which  betrayed  extreme  weakness.  The  next 
instant  saw  the  poor  brute  tremble,  stagger, 
fall  and  expire. 

If  Solomon  had  counted  on  an  easy  triumph 
over  his  formidable  adversary,  his  arrival  at 
Jerusalem,  after  years  of  untold  hardships  and 
trials,  undeceived  him.  The  city  showed 
every  indication  of  great  prosperity ;  the  king 
dom  stood  firmly  established,  and  the  brilliance 
of  the  royal  Court  had  no  rival  in  the  gor 
geous  Orient.  Embassies  came  to  pay  the  hom 
age  of  princedoms  and  empires  near  and  far, 
bringing  presents  of  rare  animals,  gold,  costly 
products,  and  precious  stones,  and  they  de 
parted  overawed  by  the  superhuman  wisdom 
of  Israel's  mighty  ruler,  who  amazed  the  am 
bassadors  not  alone  by  addressing  each  one  in 
his  native  language,  but  by  showing  a  minute 
acquaintance  with  their  secret  matters  of 
state,  and  by  reading  their  hidden  thoughts. 


194  ®b*  titeirtr  (Orient. 

The  envoys  reported  to  their  sovereigns  that  a 
demi-god  had  come  to  reign  over  an  earthly 
kingdom. 

For  a  shabby  mendicant  to  overthrow  a 
power  of  Ashmodai's  devices  and  resources 
was  indeed  a  business  to  make  even  a  Solo 
mon  despair  of  success. 

Having  entered  the  city,  the  beggar-king 
sought  the  haunts  of  the  paupers  without 
breathing  a  syllable  as  to  his  identity,  lest 
Ashmodai  be  alarmed  by  his  presence,  which 
was  a  circumstance  to  be  feared.  Solomon 
the  beggar  knew  that  he  looked  so  unlike  Solo 
mon  the  Wise  that  he  long  hesitated  to  ap 
proach  his  whilom  faithful  Benaiah,  who,  in 
nocent  of  the  demon's  fraud,  continued  as 
dashing  and  as  loyal  as  ever  before.  The  at 
tempt  at  an  interview  resulted  in  the  general's 
throwing  a  silver  coin  to  get  rid  of  the  importu 
nate  beggar,  who  dared  accost  ;him  as  though 
he  was  his  equal.  In  his  despondency  Solo 
mon  turned  his  back  on  his  endeared  capital, 
roamed  about  for  many  days  distracted  with 
grief,  until,  having  caught  sight  of  the  sea,  he 
fell  prostrate  on  the  shore,  prayed  in  great  hu- 


tOeirfc  QDriint.  195 

mility,  wept  and  fell  asleep.  He  had  a  dream 
in  which  Eldad,  who  had  died  during  his  wan 
derings,  appeared  to  him  in  the  guise  of  an 
angler,  unloosening  a  large  fish  from  his  hook 
which  he  presented  to  the  dreamer.  A  scream 
in  the  air  startled  Solomon  from  his  sleep,  and  a 
slap  on  his  cheek  by  some  cold  thing  brought 
him  to  his  feet.  Before  him  lay  a  fish  in  contor 
tions,  above  him  two  birds  were  soaring,  one 
higher  than  the  other,  who,  in  their  fight  for  the 
prey,  evidently  had  allowed  it  to  drop  on  the 
sleeper's  face.  Parched  with  thirst  and  stung 
by  hunger,  Solomon  tore  the  fish  open,  when, 
lo !  the  ring,  Eldad's  gift,  the  all-controlling 
charm,  was  there.  No  sooner  was  it  on  the 
King's  finger  than  an  appalling  earthquake 
shook  the  shore,  while  from  the  heart  of  God's 
city  burst  a  prodigious  pillar  of  smoke  and 
flame,  losing  itself  in  the  deep  azure.  Useless 
to  add  that  this  was  the  trail  of  Ashmodai's 
precipitous  flight,  who,  immediately  apprised 
of  his  adversary's  triumph,  fled  as  fast  as  he 
could,  spreading  consternation  as  he  went. 

Solomon  by  this  time  had   enough    expe 
rience  with  the  chief  of  demons  to  last  him  for 


196  ®f)e      sirb  ©rient. 

the  rest  of  his  life  ;  yet  nothing  else  but  Ash- 
modai's  subsequent  vengeance  was  the  cause 
of  his  falling  from  grace  in  after  years,  so  that 
the  wisest  of  ancient  kings  not  alone  forfeited 
the  power  vested  in  the  Omnipotent  Name, 
but  closed  a  glorious  career  so  ingloriously 
that  he  died  an  object  of  pity  to  some  of  his 
subjects  and  of  hatred  to  the  rest.  Having  se 
cured  the  means  of  building  the  Temple  with 
out  the  aid  of  ordinary  implements,  he  would 
have  acted  wisely  in  dismissing  the  chief  of 
invisible  hosts  instead  of  detaining  him  un 
justly,  and  preying  into  mysteries  not  in 
tended  for  man.  Solomon's  aspiration  to  be 
more  than  human,  while  it  gratified  his  vanity, 
brought  on  eventually  his  ruin,  while  his  mind 
was  never  at  ease,  even  under  the  constant 
guardianship  of  the  "  Heroic  Sixty/'  his  close 
body-guard. 

NOTE.—"  We  also  tried  Solomon,  and  placed  on  his 
throne  a  counterfeit  body ;  afterward  he  turned  unto 
God  and  said,  O  Lord,  forgive  me,  and  give  me  a 
kingdom  which  may  not  be  obtained  by  any  after  me ; 
for  thou  art  the  bestower  of  kingdoms.  And  we  made 
the  wind  subject  to  him  ;  it  ran  gently  at  his  command 
whithersoever  he  directed,  and  we  also  put  the  demons 


QLl)e      eirfc  (Orient.  197 

in  subjection  under  him,  and  among  them  such  as  were 
every  way  skilled  in  building,  and  in  diving  for  pearls.' ' 
(Koran,  Surah  38.) 

The  Talmudic  version  of  Solomon's  temporary  de 
thronement  runs  thus : — Conscious  of  the  fact  that  the 
stability  of  his  kingdom  depended  on  the  signet  on  his 
finger,  Solomon  had  but  one  trusty  concubine  named 
Amina  whom  he  entrusted  with  the  invaluable  jewel 
during  moments  when  the  body's  natural  functions  ren 
dered  its  removal  obligatory,  it  bearing  the  ineffable 
Name.  One  day  Sakhar,  a  malicious  demon,  appeared 
to  Amina  in  the  shape  of  Solomon,  possessed  himself 
of  the  ring,  usurped  the  throne,  transformed  or  de 
formed  the  real  monarch,  and  ruled  the  land  to  suit 
himself,  altering  the  laws,  and  doing  all  the  mischief  a 
devil  is  capable  of  doing.  In  the  meantime  Solomon, 
distracted  by  the  incident,  and  wholly  unknown  to  his 
court,  wandered  about,  depending  on  alms  for  subsist 
ence.  This  misadventure  of  the  wise  king  was  brought 
about  by  an  image  of  himself  made  for  worship  at  his 
order  by  another  devil  to  comfort  his  favorite  wife, 
Jerada,  the  beautiful  princess  of  Sidon,  whose  father 
had  fallen  during  the  siege  of  that  city  by  Solomon's 
army.  As  soon  as  the  worship  of  the  image  ceased,  the 
devil  fled  the  palace  and  threw  the  signet  into  the  sea. 
A  fish  swallowed  the  thaumaturgic  ring,  was  caught, 
and  providentially  fell  into  Solomon's  hand,  thus  pos 
sessing  him  of  the  omnipotent  charm  which  enabled  him 
to  recover  his  kingdom.  As  to  Sakhar,  he  was  caught, 


198  Stye  iX)eirb  (Orient. 

a  stone  was  tied  around  his  neck,  and  he  was  ruth 
lessly  thrown  into  the  lake  of  Tiberias.  Sakhar 
standing  for  the  Hebrew  noun  sbeker  —  falsehood, 
and  Amina  for  emunah,— faith  or  firmness,  the  deeper 
sense  of  the  allegory  needs  no  further  elucidation. 
Among  the  most  familiar  legends  which  cluster  around 
Solomon's  rule  is  that  of  his  green  carpet  woven  of  silk 
and  of  a  magnitude  sufficiently  ample  not  alone  to  hold 
his  throne,  but  an  army  of  men  to  his  right  hand  and  a 
host  of  spirits  to  his  left.  At  the  king's  command  the 
winds  transported  the  entire  equipment,  slow  or  fast, 
according  to  his  majesty's  pleasure,  while  the  royal 
head  was  shaded  by  an  enormous  flock  of  birds  on  the 
wing.  Countenance  is  given  to  this  fable  in  the  Koran, 
— "  And  his  armies  were  gathered  together  unto  Solo 
mon,  consisting  of  genii,  and  men,  and  birds."  (Su 
rah,  27.) 


THE  CROESUS  OF  YEMEN. 


THE  CROESUS  OF  YEMEN. 


SANAA,  the  capital  of  Yemen,  is  one  of 
the  noblest  cities  of  Arabia  Felix,  and 
is  said  to  rival  beautiful  Damascus  in 
many  of  her  exquisite  features.  The  Imam  of 
Yemen  who  ruled  in  the  beginning  of  this 
century  could  claim  rank  among  the  most 
whimsical  princes  who  ever  sat  on  a  throne. 
He  was  a  man  of  weak  intellect,  strong  pas 
sion,  boundless  vanity,  and  a  religious  enthu 
siasm  entirely  foreign  to  his  subjects,  who  are 
indifferent  followers  of  Mohammed.  That 
eccentric  Commander  of  the  Faithful  conceived 
the  singular  fancy  that  he  was  animated  by 
the  soul  of  the  last  Prophet,  and  he  suited  his 
conduct  to  his  conceit,  there  being  no  one  to 
dispute  his  ludicrous  presumption.  He  dressed 
in  green,  sermonized  his  people  in  the  style  of 

(201) 


202  (Elje  todr&  (Drient. 

the  Koran,  read  surahs  of  his  own  creation, 
raved  of  his  nocturnal  visits  to  heaven, 
descanted  on  visions  and  revelations  vouch 
safed  to  him,  and  scrupulously  arranged  his 
household  in  imitation  of  Mohammed's,  not 
forgetting  the  seventeen  wives  of  the  founder 
of  Islam,  including  an  Ayesha,  who  was  the 
power  behind  the  Imam's  throne,  being  the 
flower  of  his  harem. 

The  most  important  person  who  stood  next 
to  the  Imam  in  power,  and  above  him  in  wis 
dom,  was  the  great  Kadi,  or  judge,  Omar, 
who  presided  over  the  supreme  court  of  Sanaa, 
and  was  in  fact  the  walking  code  and  cyclo 
paedia  of  Yemen.  What  he  did  not  know  only 
Allah  and  His  Prophet  could  reveal.  The 
wise  Kadi  had  no  doubt  at  all  that  the  Imam 
was  a  spiritual  duplicate  or  tne  true  Prophet, 
and  he  received  in  recognition  the  proud  title 
of  the  "  Lion  of  God/'  reminiscent  of  Moham 
med's  most  devoted  champion  who  fought  his 
battles,  and  died  sword  in  hand. 

Omar  plied  his  legal  profession  so  well,  had 
so  many  questions  of  justice  and  equity  re 
ferred  to  him  from  every  quarter  of  the  land, 


tOeirb  ©rient.  203 

that  he  rose  to  be  the  wealthiest  Moslem  of 
Sanaa,  exceeded  in  his  opulence  by  one  man 
only,  and  that  was  the  renowned  Ben  Abir, 
surnamed  "The  Croesus  of  Yemen."  Ben 
Abir  was  no  Moslem,  but  a  Hebrew,  and  one 
who  feared  nothing  so  much  as  the  remote 
likelihood  of  slighting  his  faith. 

The  Imam's  ruling  passion  for  prophetic 
honors  was  equalled  by  his  unprophetic  mania 
for  building  monumental  structures  with  an 
extravagance  which  drained  his  treasure. 
Lacking  the  vast  resources  of  the  Caliph  of 
Estamboul,  the  prince  of  Yemen  nevertheless 
aspired  to  rival  the  head  of  the  faithful  in  the 
monumental  magnificence  of  his  great  capital ; 
and  immense  sums  were  lavished  on  the  em 
bellishments  of  a  city  which  was  meant  to 
dazzle  even  the  strangers  who  had  wondered 
at  the  imperial  palaces  of  the  mighty  Sultan 
himself.  The  drawback  was  the  limited  reve 
nues  of  the  Imam's  domains,  and  the  shrewd 
Kadi,  forestalling  the  danger  of  a  royal  re 
course  to  his  riches,  was  instrumental  in 
causing  his  master  to  draw  on  Ben  Abir  for 
large  sums,  in  return  for  titles  and  privileges 


204  ®be  tOeirfc  (Orient. 

which  enabled  the  misused  Israelite  to  indem 
nify  himself  in  a  measure  for  advances  he 
never  expected  to  see  returned.  Unlimited  in 
the  extent  of  his  commercial  enterprises,  and 
furnished  with  as  many  military  escorts  as  he 
chose  to  ask  for,  Ben  Abir's  caravans  carried 
loads  of  silk,  cotton,  hardware,  weapons  and 
trinkets  as  far  as  Hadramaut,  Hejaz  and  Nejd, 
fearless  of  the  dangers  of  the  Tehamah  and 
the  deathful  simoons  of  the  arid  desert ;  and 
they  returned  to  the  seashore  with  tons  of 
coffee,  packs  of  gum,  ostrich  feathers,  dyes  and 
pearls,  which  foreign  vessels  carried  to  distant 
lands.  To  all  this  Ben  Abir  added  the  breed 
ing  of  the  finest  Arabian  horses,  such  as  are 
only  found  in  Nejd,  and  it  became  a  current 
saying  that  whatever  the  Croesus  of  Yemen 
touched  turned  into  gold. 

Now,  it  happened  that,  previous  to  the  clos 
ing  celebration  of  the  Ramadhan  Fast,  Ben 
Abir  presented  his  sovereign  with  one  of  his 
choicest  Nejdi  stallions,  of  spotless  white  and  a 
most  fiery  temper,  caparisoned  in  the  most 
approved  fashion.  Delighted  with  the  gift, 
the  Imam  showed  his  appreciation  by  mount- 


(Dricnt.  205 

ing  the  spirited  animal  on  the  solemn  occasion 
brought  about  by  the  sacrificial  ceremony 
which  marks  the  close  of  the  Fast.  As  ill- 
luck  would  have  it,  a  distracted  saint,  who 
had  just  issued  from  his  cave  looking  more 
like  a  chimpanzee  than  a  human  being,  threw 
himself  in  the  way  of  the  stallion  with  a  yell 
that  frightened  both  horse  and  rider.  Snort 
ing  and  balking  in  recoil  from  the  object  of 
terror,  the  high-spirited  creature  reared  and  fell 
backward  injuring  the  Kadi,  who  was  behind, 
and  landing  the  second  edition  of  the  Prophet 
on  a  rock,  with  a  broken  leg  and  a  dislocated 
jaw  as  mementos  of  the  inauspicious  incident. 
Somebody  had  to  be  burdened  with  the  blame, 
and  the  Kadi  realized  his  opportunity.  As 
soon  as  sufficiently  recovered  from  his  own 
hurts  to  sit  in  judgment,  Omar  declared  Ben 
Abir  guilty  of  high  treason  for  having  tempted 
the  Imam  to  mount  a  mad  horse,  and  con 
demned  him  to  perish  by  decapitation,  unless 
he  should  ransom  his  life  for  a  fabulous  sum, 
which  was  named,  with  the  additional  condi 
tion  that  it  be  paid  in  solid  gold.  Within 
twenty-four  hours  the  gold  was  in  the  hands 


2o6  ®lje      eirfc  QDrient. 


of  the  Imam's  treasurer,  and  Ben  Abir  was  a 
poor  man. 

When  Ayesha,  the  flower  of  the  royal 
harem,  who  was  of  Hebraic  origin,  heard  of  the 
Kadi's  sentence,  she  appealed  to  her  prophetic 
lord's  conscience  against  the  flagrant  injustice. 
The  Imam  was  moved  to  the  extent  of  offering 
to  return  a  small  portion  of  the  robbery,  pro 
vided  the  Hebrew  would  enter  the  mosque. 
Ben  Abir  would  not  listen  to  the  thought  of 
such  treason  to  the  God  of  his  fathers,  and 
had  a  brave  wife  to  sustain  him  in  his  trial, 
with  two  children,  one  an  ineffably  charming 
maiden,  to  comfort  him.  Nor  was  he  entirely 
destitute,  his  commercial  credit  remaining 
good. 

In  one  of  the  mountain  ranges  of  Yemen  one 
Friday  afternoon,  as  the  sun  began  to  approach 
the  rim  of  the  horizon,  a  small  caravan  made 
a  halt.  The  dromedaries  were  freed  from  their 
burdens  and  allowed  to  browse,  and  a  dark 
tent  was  stretched  for  the  use  of  the  master  of 
the  caravan.  On  a  matting  on  the  ground  a 
rug  was  spread  and  a  few  pillows  were  put 
thereon  for  the  ease  of  a  middle-aged  person 


(Orient.  207 

who,  dismounting  from  his  horse,  took  posses 
sion  of  the  transient  resting-place.  As  soon  as 
he  found  himself  within  the  tent  he  washed 
himself  with  water  drawn  from  the  nearest 
spring,  changed  his  garments,  brought  forth  a 
silver  lamp,  which  he  filled  with  oil,  a  silver 
flask  full  of  wine,  and  a  goblet  of  the  same 
metal.  With  nightfall  the  lamp  illumined  the 
tent,  and  the  inmate  stood  lost  in  prayer,  with 
his  face  turned  to  the  east.  A  blessing  uttered 
over  the  wine  was  followed  by  a  frugal  meal, 
and  the  rest  of  the  evening  was  spent  in  study 
of  sacred  lore.  At  the  entrance  to  the  tent, 
near  a  spear  struck  into  the  soil,  stood  a  black 
sentry,  while  at  a  distance  the  camel  drivers 
made  themselves  comfortable  for  the  night. 
The  lord  of  the  caravan  was  Ben  Abir,  his 
sentinel  was  Ibraeem,  a  freed  slave,  who, 
having  been  treated  kindly  by  his  master  in 
his  happier  days,  would  not  desert  him  now 
that  fortune  declined  to  smile  on  him. 

The  night  was  very  dark,  and  would  have 
been  voiceless  but  for  the  sighs  and  moans  of 
the  dromedaries,  who  seemed  audibly  to  com 
miserate  one  with  another  upon  the  hardships 


208  ®l)e  tDeir&  (Orient. 

of  life.  About  midnight  the  silence  was 
unbroken,  the  discontented  animals  having 
buried  their  sense  of  trouble  in  dreamless 
sleep.  At  this  hour  Ben  Abir  was  roused  by 
his  faithful  attendant,  who  informed  him  of  a 
great  marvel  that  was  to  be  seen  before  the 
tent.  A  heap  of  gold  cropped  up  from  the 
ground,  each  coin  scintillating  like  a  star. 
"  Rise,  O,  master !  Allah  sends  thee  a 
treasure,"  cried  the  devoted  slave. 

11  What  is  it  thou  art  raving  of,  O, 
Ibraeem  ! — art  thou  dreaming  ?  "  said  Ben 
Abir. 

"  Indeed  I  am  wide  awake,  O,  master ! — 
step  forth  and  trust  to  thine  own  senses  if 
thou  doubtest  mine  ;  here  is  the  hoard  Allah 
would  have  thee  take,"  insisted  Ibraeem. 

As  Ben  Abir  peered  out  of  his  tent  to  con 
vince  himself  of  Ibraeem's  illusion,  he  saw 
with  amazement  a  golden  pile  of  coin,  the 
pieces  glowing  like  lupine  eyes  in  the  dark. 
This  is  a  temptation  of  the  evil  one,  thought 
the  scrupulous  Israelite,  who  would  not  have 
touched  pelf  on  ihis  Sabbath  for  the  wealth  of 
the  Indies. 


®!)e  toeirfc  (Orient.  209 

"  Touch  not  a  piece  of  this  hoard,  Oh, 
Ibraeem  ! — if  thou  fearest  Allah,  and  wouldst 
not  disobey  Ben  Abir.  If  the  treasure  is  to  be 
mine,  it  will  remain  where  it  is  till  after  my 
Sabbath  ;  if  it  be  not  mine,  the  breaking  of 
my  holy  day  will  not  save  it  for  me.  What  is 
to  be,  will  be.  Go  to  sleep,"  closed  the  pious 
Yemenite,  and  retired  to  his  couch,  Ibraeem, 
after  a  little  natural  hesitation,  doing  likewise. 
What  right,  after  all,  had  he  to  question  the 
deep  wisdom  and  deeper  faith  of  his  generous 
master  ? 

But  sleep  would  not  return  to  Ben  Abir. 
Through  the  coarse  goat  hair  texture  that 
made  up  the  covering  of  his  tent  the  glittering 
mass  stared  at  him  like  so  many  living  eyes, 
and  he  felt  a  chill  run  through  the  marrow  of 
his  bones.  While  he  was  at  a  loss  to  explain 
how  the  glare  of  the  hoard  penetrated  the 
opaque  material  of  his  tent,  a  new  wonder 
diverted  his  attention.  An  inclined  plane, 
broad  as  a  valley  and  smooth  as  glass, 
stretched  down  from  the  deep  heavens  with 
both  ends  lost,  one  among  the  starry  configur 
ations,  the  other  in  the  unfathomed  abysses  of 
14 


2io  ®l)e  XJeirfc  (Orient. 

the  nether  world.  The  only  irregularity  in 
the  sweep  of  the  prodigious  highway  was  a 
terrace  which  made  a  connecting  link  between 
the  upper  and  the  lower  part  of  the  plane.  In 
the  heart  of  the  terrace  shone  the  hoard  which 
a  while  before  had  been  seen  before  the  tent. 
Ben  Abir  doubted  not  that  there  was  an  evil 
design  back  of  this  marvelous  display,  but  he 
felt  safe  in  the  consciousness  of  his  firm  loy 
alty.  His  feeling  of  safety,  however,  was 
somewhat  shaken  by  a  terrific  detonation, 
like  the  eruption  of  a  volcano.  It  was  the 
signal  for  a  numberless  host  to  ascend  towards 
the  terrace,  who,  dividing  and  subdividing, 
started  to  march  up  in  frowning  armies  to  the 
sound  of  wailing  notes, — clarions  and  clashing 
cymbals  mixing  with  a  chaos  of  noise  pro 
duced  by  all  the  instruments  of  music  known. 
The  vanguard  was  made  up  of  a  seried  divi 
sion  of  vicious  gholes  whose  march  resembled 
more  the  dance  of  droll  harlequins  than  the 
pace  of  warriors.  At  their  heels  came  a  vast 
herd  of  monstrous  bipeds,  with  head,  tail  and 
hoofs  of  the  boar,  making  the  air  shudder  with 
their  hideous  grunts,  and  piercing  the  sable  of 


tDeirfo  QDrient.  211 


night  with  their  grim  eyes.  Next  followed  a  di 
vision  of  bipedal  beasts,  rolling  fiery  eyeballs, 
striking  their  sides  with  tails  like  those  of  lions, 
and  rending  the  atmosphere  with  roars  of  fury. 
Back  of  these  came  bounding  an  enormous 
pack  of  bellowing  hell-hounds,  each  one  a 
Cerberus,  armed  with  the  deadly  teeth  and 
claws  of  the  tiger.  Close  behind  tramped  an 
appalling  herd  of  deformities,  hunch-backed 
elephants,  with  raised  trunks  that  were  hissing 
serpents,  and  tusks  which  reached  down  to  the 
ground  tearing  up  fragments  of  rock  and  hurl 
ing  them  against  the  terrace  with  diabolic 
fury.  The  rear  was  taken  up  by  a  grisly  mul 
titude  of  animated  skeletons,  who  yelled, 
grinned,  laughed,  danced,  —  drawing  up  and 
thrusting  out  their  bony  limbs  with  wriggling 
motion,  and  varying  the  infernal  performance 
by  a  series  of  somersaults.  Back  of  all  burst 
a  deluge  of  red  fire  which  shot  with  raging 
impetuosity  among  the  hellish  monsters,  who 
instead  of  being  deterred  appeared  to  derive 
strength  from  the  consuming  element.  But 
fierce  as  was  the  rush  against  the  terrace,  be 
yond  its  outer  limits  the  demons  could  aot  pass. 


212  ®l)£    Ucirfc  (Dricnt, 


Meanwhile,  on  the  upper  extension  of  the 
celestial  highway  there  was  a  quick  mustering 
of  radiant  squadrons,  and  an  array  of  embat 
tled  lines  which  extended  beyond  the  remotest 
galaxies.  The  summons  had  gone  forth  to  be 
ready  for  the  infernal  invader,  and  the  deni 
zens  of  the  stars  responded  in  unnumbered 
myriads.  Signals  flashed  from  height  to 
height,  and  save  the  warning  note  of  a  trum 
pet  faintly  heard  now  and  then,  the  pregnant 
silence  of  the  ethereal  combatants  contrasted 
strangely  with  the  fiendish  defiance  of  the 
howling  goblins. 

The  moments  of  suspense  were  intensified 
by  the  swelling  of  the  hoard  to  amazing 
dimensions;  not  that  the  coins  multiplied,  but 
they  grew  in  size  and  in  lustre,  until  each  one 
resembled  the  solar  disk.  It  was  no  more  a 
pile,  but  a  pyramid,  of  gold  set  in  a  frame 
of  thickening  darkness. 

A  peal  of  thunder  from  on  high  was  the  sign 
for  the  encounter.  Like  a  sea  of  lightning,  the 
radiant  vanguard  swept  adown  the  terrace  with 
a  mien  so  dreadful  and  weapons  so  deterring 
that  the  black  divisions  fled  in  horror  before  the 


QLtye  todr&  (Orient.  213 

blasting  might  that  shook  the  deeps  to  the 
foundation. 

With  all  his  attention  concentrated  on  the 
engagement,  Ben  Abir  had  not  seen  that  a 
cherub  stood  before  him  one  of  those  precious 
disks  in  his  hand,  until  the  apparition  spoke. 
"So  much  is  thine,  O,  righteous  Ben  Abir! 
the  rest  will  come/'  were  the  mystic  words 
of  the  benign  power. 

Ben  Abir  could  not  accept  the  gift  without 
stretching  his  arms  to  their  full  length,  and 
found  it  impossible  to  hold  it  the  moment  his 
hands  closed  round  the  edge  of  the  fiery 
wheel.  Finding  the  priceless  treasure  was 
slipping  from  his  grasp  he  called  for  Ibraeem 
to  help. 

"What  is  it  thou  wouldst  have  me  do  for 
thee,  master  ?"  asked  the  attendant  when 
roused  from  his  sound  sleep. 

"Have  I  called  thee,  Ibraeem  ?  Yes,  I  did 
call  thee  ;  but  it  was  all  a  dream,  a  dream  as 
awful  as  the  vision  of  Jacob  in  the  wilderness. 
—How  far  advanced  is  the  night  ?  Is  there 
anything  left  of  the  golden  hoard  ?"  inquired 
Ben  Abir. 


214  ®1)*      wrb  QDrient. 

"The  camels  are  astir,  and  the  east  is 
gray,  but  the  gold  is  all  gone,  master, — all 
gone.  Had  we  taken  it,  thou  wouldst  again 
be  the  Croesus  of  Yemen/'  said  the  simple- 
minded  Ibraeem,  regretfully.  "  We  ought  to 
have  taken  it,  ought  we  not  ?" 

1 '  It  is  well  that  we  kept  our  hands  from  it ; 
it  was  a  temptation  held  out  by  the  evil  one, 
Ibraeem,  who  lures  man  into  error.  What  is 
to  be  will  be. — Let  me  be  alone  for  a  little 
space  ;  I  am  somewhat  perturbed,"  concluded 
Ben  Abir,  who  wished  to  think  over  his  un 
earthly  vision. 

With  eyes  closed,  the  Hebrew  endeavored 
to  recall  the  dark  and  bright  phantoms  of  the 
night,  pondering  what  it  all  might  mean.  And 
that  hoard,  which  his  humble  servant  had 
witnessed  and  referred  to,  had  been  too  tan 
gible  a  reality  to  be  transferred  to  the  domain 
of  the  spectral. 

The  radiant  flood-gates  of  heaven's  light- 
oceans  opened  wide.  The  Orient  was  ablaze 
with  the  glories  of  an  early  sunrise,  which 
had  been  initiated  by  waves  of  gilded  crimson; 
and  Arabia  Felix  rose  from  a  transcendental 


&lje  toeirb  (Drient,  215 

dream  to  bathe  in  dew  as  brilliant  as  the 
pearls  of  Halool  and  Katar.  The  air  vibrated 
with  the  joyous  notes  of  the  feathered  free 
booters  ;  there  were  the  finch,  the  lark  and 
the  thrush  to  lead  in  the  matin  concert,  and 
the  beautifully-crested  hoopoe,  on  whom  Solo 
mon  bestowed  a  golden  crown  for  services 
rendered  him  in  the  desert  and  for  messages 
carried  between  His  Majesty  and  Belkeys,  the 
Queen  of  Sheba.  Sweet  was  the  scent  of  the 
air,  and  the  sparkling  dew  was  as  yet  unab- 
sorbed  by  the  glowing  heat  of  the  rising  day. 

Ben  Abir  issued  from  his  tent  to  feel  that 
nature  donned  her  festal  robes  in  honor  of  the 
Sabbath  blessed  of  the  Lord.  Was  it  not  his 
over-soul  that  made  him  realize  the  holiness 
of  God's  creation  ?  How  different  the  world 
looked  to  him  on  week-days.  But  think  of 
whatever  he  might,  before  his  mental  gaze 
still  soared  his  vision  undispelled  by  the 
cheer  of  sunshine  and  life.  His  heart  throbbed 
with  prophetic  apprehension.  Who  was  wise 
enough  to  enlighten  him  ? 

However,  the  day  was  passed  in  worship 
and  study  ;  and  at  the  sight  of  the  first  three 


216  Stye  to*irfc  ©rient. 

stars  in  the  firmament,  the  scrupulous  Ben 
Abir  bade  his  farewell  to  the  Sabbath  by  the 
blessing  uttered  over  a  cup  of  wine  ;  and,  lan 
tern  in  hand,  proceeded  to  search  the  spot 
whereon  the  golden  hoard  had  been  seen  on 
the  previous  night.  One  gold  piece  only  he 
found  on  turning  up  the  sand  with  the  tip  of 
his  sandal,  but  it  was  enough  to  make  his 
heart  flutter,  conscious  that  the  coin  in  his 
hand  was  not  of  human  make.  Returning  to 
his  tent,  the  precious  piece  was  deposited  on 
a  pillow  with  a  trembling  hand,  when  lo  !  the 
thing  began  to  dilate  and  grow  in  brilliance, 
until  it  reached  the  size  and  shape  of  the 
golden  disk  he  had  in  his  vision  received  from 
an  angel's  hand.  Ben  Abir  bit  his  thumb 
to  assure  himself  that  he  was  awake.  Was 
it  not  another  illusion  ?  To  the  touch  it  was 
an  ordinary  coin  ;  to  the  eye  it  had  the  form 
of  a  mighty  targe  of  burnished  gold.  "It  is 
mine,  and  I  shall  keep  it  as  the  secret  and 
talisman  of  my  life,  a  gift  of  the  Most  High, 
blessed  be  He!"  whispered  the  loyal  Israelite, 
and  the  mysterious  coin  was  carefully  wrapped 
up  and  put  away. 


®lje  ittdrfc  (Drient.  217 

The  early  dawn  of  the  first  day  of  the  week 
found  Ben  Abir's  caravan  winding  its  way 
amidst  a  wilderness  of  tropic  vegetation  and 
scattered  rocks  ;  but  the  tide  of  fortune  still 
turned  against  him.  Torrents  of  rain  impeded 
the  march  of  his  camels  and  damaged  the 
goods  he  depended  on  for  the  success  of  his 
journey.  While  the  dromedaries  were  in  the 
act  of  crossing  a  bridge  the  span  gave  way 
and  three  of  the  poor  brutes  went  down  never 
to  rise  again  ;  and  to  complete  his  ruin,  fire 
broke  out  at  the  caravansary  where  he  had 
hoped  to  find  refuge  from  the  weather's  in 
clemencies,  and  he  had  good  cause  to  be 
grateful  even  for  escape  from  death  in  the 
flames  that  consumed  the  remnant  of  his  mer 
chandise,  largely  secured  on  credit.  The 
Croesus  of  Yemen  found  himself  on  the  brink 
of  poverty,  a  ruined  man  with  a  crowd  of 
creditors  to  lodge  him  in  one  of  Sanaa's  abom 
inable  prisons.  He  knew  the  Kadi  who  would 
speak  the  sentence,  and  he  prepared  to  face 
the  inevitable,  trusting  that  something  would 
happen  to  render  his  painful  situation  bear 
able. 


218  ®lje  tDeirb  (Orient. 

There  lived  at  this  time  another  person  in 
Sanaa  who  actually  rejoiced  at  the  disgrace 
and  impoverishment  of  Ben  Abir ;  and  this 
contrary  both  to  his  own  temper,  and  to  the 
popular  sympathies  with  a  man  who  in  his 
better  days  alleviated  human  misery  to  the 
best  of  his  ability.  That  exception  was 
Hayem  Cordosa.  The  cause  of  the  ill  feeling 
in  Cordosa's  breast  was  an  unhappy,  one 
sided  romance,  which  had  driven  his  son, 
Menahem,  to  desperation.  Until  a  certain 
morning  that  youth  had  but  one  dream,  and 
that  was  knowledge.  It  was  the  fateful 
moment  when  he  chanced  to  meet  in  the 
street  an  exquisitely  lovely  boy  mounted  on  a 
pony  in  charge  of  a  black  man.  The  child's 
silken  locks  were  darker  than  the  jet  black 
face  of  his  attendant,  his  complexion  was  like 
milk  and  blood,  his  lips  reminded  one  of  the 
red  coral,  his  teeth  of  the  purest  pearl,  while 
his  eyes  suggested  the  dreams  of  angels  in 
realms  of  ineffable  felicity.  A  few  questions 
put  to  the  slave  brought  the  information  that 
infinitely  fairer  than  the  child  was  his  elder 
sister  Estrelia.  In  the  glow  of  his  loyal  ad- 


tOeirfc  QDmni.  219 


miration  Ibraeem,  who  had  the  child  in  charge, 
portrayed  to  the  interested  youth  a  maiden 
who  was  more  beautiful  than  the  Peri  of 
Yemen.  So  great  was  her  beauty  that  her 
pellucid  witchery  shone  through  her  veil, 
while  her  perfect  form  would  have  been 
envied  by  the  graces  of  antiquity.  Ibraeem 
did  not  think  that  he  exaggerated  matters  by 
assuring  Menahem  that  Estrelia's  loveliness 
illumined  the  apartments  of  her  privacy,  and 
that  her  eyes  would  enchant  the  deadly 
rukta.  If  the  youth  had  any  doubt  about  it, 
the  cherub-like  sweetness  of  her  little  brother 
dispelled  the  doubt. 

Menahem  was  not  a  youth  to  be  despised. 
His  fidelity  to  principle  was  as  great  as  his 
learning  in  sacred  literature  was  deep.  He 
felt  justified  in  offering  his  heart  to  Ben  Abir's 
daughter,  but  met  with  a  rebuff,  and  became 
desperate.  The  erstwhile  cheerful  youth 
grew  gloomy,  courted  seclusion,  brooded  on 
vengeance  ;  and  finally  resorted  to  the  ex 
tremity  of  deserting  his  faith,  to  the  great 
sorrow  of  his  scrupulously  religious  parents. 
It  was  a  mad  step,  but  there  was  method  in 


220  Stye  itteirfc  ©rient. 

the  madness.  The  apostate  put  himself  under 
the  protection  of  Omar,  and  the  learned  Kadi 
presented  him  to  his  royal  master  as  a  con 
vert  to  Islam  ;  the  Imam  received  him  with 
favor,  assured  him  of  a  seat  in  Paradise,  and 
made  him  his  cup-bearer.  Menahem  was 
were  he  wished  to  be,  but  Cordosa  hated  the 
house  of  Ben  Abir. 

It  was  during  the  last  trip  of  the  fallen 
Croesus  of  Yemen  that  the  convert  took  an 
opportunity  to  speak  to  the  Imam  of  the 
maiden  who  had  driven  him  mad,  and  he 
spoke  of  her  as  the  "luminous  Peri  of 
Yemen,  whose  radiant  beauty  enlightens  Ben 
Abir's  home." 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  there  was  not 
a  thing  within  the  boundaries  of  his  dominion 
the  Iman  would  hesitate  to  lay  hand  on  if  he 
deemed  its  possession  desirable.  In  this  espe 
cial  case  the  remembrance  of  a  broken  leg  and 
dislocated  jaw  seemed  to  justify  any  step  cal 
culated  to  afford  some  recompense  for  those 
injuries  which  gave  the  aspirant  to  prophetic 
veneration  a  hideous  aspect.  When  consulted 
in  the  matter,  the  Kadi  failed  to  see  it  in  any 


$l)e  tPeirfc  ODrient.  221 

other  light — "  Thou  art  the  blessed  re-birth  of 
the  last  prophet,  the  prince  of  this  great  land, 
and  there  is  no  power  in  the  heavens  to  interfere 
with  thy  right,  O,  commander  of  the  faithful! 
when  thou  seest  fit  to  save  a  soul  from  perdi 
tion.  As  to  the  increase  in  thy  harem  beyond 
the  number  consecrated  by  the  will  of  Mo 
hammed,  thy  servant  will  be  grateful  for  any 
of  thy  Houris,  if  thou  deignest  to  transfer  her 
to  the  humbler  home  of  thy  devoted  Kadi," 
was  Omar's  suggestion. 

Had  the  secret  remained  among  its  origina 
tors  and  been  carried  out  promptly,  the  fate  of 
Estrelia  would  have  been  sealed  ;  but  the  re 
moval  of  one  from  the  Imam's  harem  put 
Ayesha  on  her  mettle.  She  suspected  a  new 
arrival,  and,  having  fathomed  the  mind  of 
Yemen's  lord,  she  was  alarmed  at  the  pros 
pect  of  being  eclipsed  by  superior  charms,  thus 
forfeiting  her  hitherto  undisputed  rule  ;  and 
she  lost  no  time  in  apprising  the  right  persons 
of  .Estrelia's  imminent  danger.  Thus  did  it 
come  to  pass  that  when,  led  by  the  apostate, 
the  minions  of  the  prince  descended  on  Ben 
Abir's  unprotected  home,  they  had  to  report 


222  &!)e  toeirb  ©rient, 

that  their  nocturnal  invasion  had  been  a 
failure.  The  "  luminous  peri  of  Yemen  "  had 
been  warned  in  time. 

For  a  man  already  under  the  pressure  of 
great  trials  to  return  from  a  ruinous  trip,  and 
be  greeted  by  the  news  of  his  child's  disappear 
ance,  is  an  experience  more  readily  imagined 
than  described.  The  last  visitation  was  too 
whelming  even  for  the  Job-like  resignation  of 
Ben  Abir.  His  only  comfort  was  his  wife's 
assurance  that  Estrelia  was  not  in  the  seraglio 
of  the  Imam.  She  had  been  carried  away  by 
two  men  in  disguise  through  a  back  door, 
barely  escaping  the  grasp  of  the  vandals  who 
knocked  for  admission  in  the  front.  The 
mother  was  so  panic-stricken  that  she  failed 
to  remember  the  names  of  the  persons  who 
had  come  to  the  rescue  of  her  child,  and  she 
had  not  heard  from  them  since  ;  but  she  felt 
sure  that  everything  would  turn  out  right. 

In  his  brighter  days  Ben  Abir  would  have 
invoked  the  power  of  his  sovereign  to  effect 
the  restitution  of  his  daughter,  but  matters 
had  changed,  and  circumstances  dictated  pru 
dence  on  his  part.  Imam  and -Kadi  were  alike 


toeirfc  (Orient.  223 


interested  in  his  ruin.  To  search  quietly,  wait 
patiently,  hope  and  pray,  were  the  only  ways 
and  means  compatible  with  his  safety.  Besides, 
there  were  impatient  creditors  to  be  appeased 
and  starvation  at  the  door.  The  princely  home 
had  to  be  disposed  of,  but  this  afforded  small 
relief.  Whatever  he  touched,  success  was  his 
adversary.  "  If  I  made  it  my  business  to  bury 
the  dead,  not  a  death  would  for  years  occur  in 
the  city  of  Sanaa,"  remarked  the  disappointed 
man  to  his  wife.  The  last  trinket  had  been  sold 
to  keep  the  wolf  away  from  the  door,  and  now 
hunger  stared  his  wife  and  child  in  the  face. 
The  devoted  Ibraeem  did  his  utmost  to  relieve 
the  want  of  his  master's  family,  but  his  fidelity 
was  more  of  a  comfort  than  a  support.  With 
the  pride  of  a  man  who  would  rather  die  than 
appeal  for  help,  Ben  Abir  yet  had  finally  to 
yield  to  the  entreaties  of  a  starving  wife. 
There  remained  but  one  thing  for  him  to  do,  a 
bitter  pill  for  him  to  swallow,  and  he  acted 
like  a  man.  Twice  a  year  it  was  Cordosa's 
business  to  lead  a  caravan  to  one  of  Yemen's 
ports  to  exchange  Arabian  products  for  mer 
chandise  imported  for  the  markets  of  the 


224  ®)*  tXJeirb  dDrient. 

peninsula.  What  he  did  not  do  on  his  own 
account  he  did  on  commission  for  others.  The 
leading  merchants  of  Sanaa  charged  him  with 
the  purchase  of  their  wares,  and  their  commis 
sions  were  all  entered  in  a  book  to  be  referred 
to  in  due  time. 

The  resources  of  Ben  Abir  having  been  ex 
hausted,  he  bethought  himself  of  the  precious 
coin  he  had  sewed  up  in  the  hem  of  his  coarse 
mantle,  and  he  resolved  to  ask  Cordosa  to  in 
vest  it  for  him  in  whatever  way  he  should 
deem  profitable.  Curbing  his  pride  he  sought 
an  interview  with  his  enemy,  made  a  frank 
statement  of  his  pinching  indigence,  and  re 
quested  Cordosa  to  buy  for  the  only  piece  of 
gold  he  had  in  the  world  anything  that  could  be 
sold  in  Sanaa.  Ben  Abir's  sad  plight  and  frank 
ness  moved  Cordosa's  heart,  who  not  alone 
promised  to  do  his  best  in  the  matter  of  busi 
ness,  but  insisted  on  relieving  the  distress  of 
the  fallen  man's  family.  The  reconciliation 
was  complete,  and  the  generous  commissioner 
set  out  on  his  journey,  accompanied  by  the  best 
wishes  of  Ben  Abir,  and  those  who  expected 
his  return  with  more  than  usual  interest. 


iJOeirfc  (Drient.  225 

The  six  long  lines  of  dromedaries  of  Cordo- 
sa's  caravan,  each  file  held  together  by  a  hair 
rope,  were  preceded  by  a  snow-white  donkey 
of  the  best  breed  in  Hasa,  good  luck  being 
insured  by  that  philosophic  animal  who  gave 
Balaam  a  lesson.  To  the  left  of  the  sagacious 
quadruped  rode  the  regular  guide,  a  Bedouin 
who  felt  at  home  in  the  trackless  waste  ;  to  the 
right,  astride  of  a  fine  steed,  was  the  Karawan- 
Bashi, — the  caravan  commander, — a  gorgeous 
display  of  gaudy  trimmings,  trappings,  jingling 
bells  and  tassels,  in  which,  however,  he  was 
greatly  eclipsed  by  the  leading  ass.  At  the 
'Bashi's  left  side  dangled  a  sword  of  Damascus, 
sheathed  in  a  scabbard  ;  and  his  warlike  tem 
per  was  formidably  impressed  on  all  whom  it 
concerned  by  a  spear  of  unusual  length.  Be 
hind  these  three  leaders,  varying  in  their  ca 
pacity,  on  his  horse  came  Cordosa,  the  master 
of  the  caravan.  Between  the  guide  and  the 
Karawan-Bashi  there  was  a  tacit  understand 
ing  to  while  away  the  monotony  of  the  trip  by 
tales  of  adventure  in  the  desert,  which  they 
told  with  startling  vividness,  each  one  manag 
ing  to  pose  as  the  hero  of  some  thrilling  episode. 
15 


226  QLtye      eirb  QDrient. 

After  the  usual  number  of  days,  and  the 
accidents  incidental  to  a  journey  through  in 
hospitable  regions,  Cordosa  reached  the  point 
of  his  destination.  Here  the  unexpected  hap 
pened  to  the  experienced  commissioner.  Fol 
lowing  his  memoranda,  he  left  no  detail  of 
business  unattended  to,  except  the  order  of 
Ben  Abir,  which  he  had  omitted  to  enter  on  his 
book.  As  the  caravan  was  on  the  point  of 
proceeding  homeward,  Cordosa  remembered 
Ben  Abir's  request,  and  felt  guilty  of  neglect. 
Full  of  self-reproach,  he  turned  to  the  Kara- 
wan-cBashi  and  required  him  to  hurry  to  the 
bazaar  and  buy  for  the  gold  piece  he  gave  him 
anything  he  thought  profitable  or  useful.  The 
order  was  carried  out  to  the  letter,  to  the  great 
mortification  of  Cordosa.  The  Karawan-'Bashi 
happened  to  meet  a  sailor,  who  had  a  cage 
full  of  Angola  cats  for  sale,  and  proposing 
to  strike  a  bargain,  offered  the  gold  piece 
in  exchange  for  the  feline  colony,  was  taken 
at  his  word,  and  thus  possessed  himself  of  the 
freaky  live-stock.  The  sailor's  tale  was  brief. 
The  animals  had  kept  a  large  vessel  free  of 
mice,  the  ship  had  foundered,  the  seaman 


toeirfc  QDrient.  227 


saved  the  cats.  He  had  nothing  to  live  on.  It 
was  a  straight  story.  The  vendor  had  the 
gold  and  Cordosa  the  cats.  The  only  thing 
to  be  done  was  to  take  the  feline  company 
along. 

Again  the  unexpected  happened  to  Cordosa. 
For  many  days  everything  went  on  without  a 
hitch,  when  the  Karawan-Bashi  and  the  guide 
informed  him  that  the  high-land  they  were 
traversing  was  entirely  unknown  to  them,  and 
that  they  did  not  know  how  they  had  come 
into  it.  "  What  I  see  around  me  I  have 
never  before  seen,  and  I  have  led  a  hundred 
caravans  athwart  the  width  and  breadth 
of  Yemen,"  asserted  the  most  experienced 
guide,  and  the  ^Bashi  shook  his  head  signifi 
cantly. 

"And  have  you  perceived  the  singular  fact, 
that  though  the  country  hereabout  resembles 
the  garden  of  Eden,  we  have  this  long  day  not 
seen  a  single  sign  of  life/'  said  Cordosa,  not 
undisturbed  in  his  mind. 

"  Allah  achbar  !  what  sea  is  it  there  we  are 
drawing  nearer  to  ?"  asked  the  Bashi  in  alarm. 
—  "  A  big  water  in  the  mountain  !" 


228  Stye  todr&  QDrient. 

"By  the  beard  of  the  Prophet,  how  can  a 
big  water  climb  up  a  mountain  ?"  ejaculated 
the  astonished  guide. 

"What  you  see  is  no  water,  but  a  heavy 
fog,  which  looks  like  water/'  corrected  Cor- 
dosa,  much  surprised  however  at  the  phe 
nomenal  denseness  of  the  cloud. 

"  True,  it  is  a  fog;  but  I  have  never  seen  one 
that  looked  so  much  like  a  rolling  tide  threat 
ening  to  engulf  us.  Everything  that  is  alive 
seems  to  have  fled  before  we  entered  this  re 
gion/'  observed  the  guide,  apprehensively. 

And  a  strange  fog  it  was,  which  rolled  for 
ward  like  a  tidal  wave,  and  ere  long  buried 
the  caravan  in  a  cloud  so  dense  that  one  could 
not  see  his  own  feet,  and  the  men  became 
alarmed  lest  they  go  down  unwarned  over  the 
brink  of  some  precipice.  The  camels  were 
allowed  to  grope  their  way,  the  guide  having 
given  up  the  idea  of  guiding ;  and  the  long 
string  of  animals  progressed  slowly  amidst  a 
flood  of  vapor  with  nothing  to  vary  the  nerve- 
trying  suspense  for  fully  an  hour.  Everything 
and  everybody  was  soaked  by  the  moisture  ; 
the  air  did  not  stir,  and  the  stillness  was  op- 


®t)e  toeirfc  QDrient.  229 

pressive.  At  last  there  was  a  rift  in  the 
hitherto  impenetrable  mass  ;  and  when  a 
breeze  lifted  the  fog,  Cordosa  rubbed  his  eyes 
to  assure  himself  of  being  awake. 

"  Dost  thou  see  what  I  see  ?"  asked  he  of 
the  Karawan-Tlashi. 

"  And  what  dost  thou  see,  O,  man,  who 
hast  traversed  the  Red  Desert  ?"  asked  in 
turn  the  'Bashi  of  the  guide. 

"  I  see,  high  up,  a  city  of  marble  palaces 
with  roofs  of  silver  and  balconies  of  gold,  as 
glorious  as  Balbec  and  Chilminar,"  cried  the 
guide,  enthusiastically. 

"  That  is  what  I  see  ;  we  have  been  lured 
into  the  domain  of  the  genii,  and  harm  will 
betide  us  if  we  fail  to  evade  their  crafty 
wiles/'  answered  the  Bashi,  nervously. 

"  If  we  do  not  flee  the  malicious  Div  will 
hurl  us  into  one  of  those  bottomless  chasms 
which  swarm  with  venomous  serpents/7 
warned  the  guide. 

"  Try  we  to  retrace  our  course,  or  the  bird 
of  prey  and  the  hyena  will  pick  the  flesh  from 
our  bones,"  said  the  'Bashi,  in  a  mood  of  dark 
prophecy. 


230  ®tje   X)dr&  (Drient. 

"  Is  it  not  God  who  rules  this  world  and  the 
stars  ?  How  can  you  be  sure  that  evil  will 
befall  us  if  we  enter  that  place  ?  We  are 
men  of  faith  and  stout  hearts,  and  I  propose 
that  we  proceed  toward  that  dazzling  city, 
no  matter  who  they  be  who  inhabit  it,"  was 
Cordosa's  fearless  proposition. 

"Thou  shalt  not  find  me  craven  if  there  be 
danger  to  face.  The  point  of  this  spear  has 
been  buried  in  the  body  of  the  lion,  and  this 
heel  has  bruised  the  head  of  the  rukta ;  if 
there  be  the  evil  one,  I  will  face  him,"  ex 
claimed  the  Karawan-Bashi. 

"Neither  is  thy  guide  of  the  stuff  that 
shrinks  before  spectres,  however  monstrous. 
Let  us  know  them  who  have  built  that  mar 
velous  city,"  cried  the  guide  heroically,  and 
toward  the  city  the  caravan  advanced. 

It  was  that  hour  of  the  day  when  the 
lengthened  shadows  indicate  the  descent  of 
the  glowing  orb,  but  the  striking  absence  of 
bird  or  insect  in  a  quarter  where  every  induce 
ment  for  their  presence  was  to  be  seen  in 
abundance  gave  the  surroundings  an  air  of 
desolation,  and  produced  the  sensation  expe- 


®tye  tUeirfc  dDrient  231 

rienced  by  him  who  suddenly  lights  on  a 
corpse.  A  broad  avenue  shaded  by  treble 
lines  of  orange  trees  in  blossom,  diffusing 
delicious  odors,  led  up  to  a  high  portal  giv 
ing  admission  to  a  vast  enclosure  walled  by 
gray  stones  perfectly  fitted  by  masterful 
hands,  a  fortress  looking  as  new  as  though 
the  masons  had  just  given  it  the  finishing 
touch.  The  wall  was  not  high  enough  to  hide 
the  gorgeous  edifices  within  ;  but  the  way 
farers  pricked  their  ears  in  vain  to  catch  a 
sound  of  life,  the  quiet  being  that  of  the 
graveyard.  "  This  is  a  dead  city,"  observed 
the  guide,  in  the  hope  of  shaking  the  courage 
of  Cordosa  ;  "  peradventure  the  desolate  city 
built  by  the  son  of  Ad." 

"  They  are  not  dead  at  night  who  are  dead 
during  the  day,"  added  the  Karawan-Bashi, 
with  a  similar  object  in  view. 

"  God  is  strong  enough  to  afford  us  protec 
tion  against  all  evil  powers.  Here  may  be  a 
mystery  we  are  destined  to  solve.  Knock 
at  the  gate  for  admission,"  ordered  Cordosa 
peremptorily. 

"Allah  illaha  il  Allah  I"  cried  the  Bashi, 


232  &lj*  tDnrfc  Orient 

seized  with  a  fit  of  unflinching  heroism  ;  "I 
will  knock  at  the  gate  with  my  scabbard,  be 
the  place  under  the  rule  of  grim  Monkir ;  the 
faithful  need  not  be  afraid  of  the  creatures  of 
Eblis." 

The  rap  on  the  gate  gave  forth  a  hollow 
sound  in  response,  yet  the  gateway  opened 
with  a  jar,  revealing  a  scene  at  which  the  in 
truders  gazed  with  amazement.  Sheddad's 
garden  of  Irem  could  hardly  equal  the  vernal 
luxuriance  which  hid  the  foundations  of  the 
wonderful  buildings.  Scattered  here  and  there, 
among  delightful  flower-beds  and  thick  clusters 
of  the  luscious  vine,  stood  groups  of  fairies 
motionless,  so  handsome  that  their  cheeks 
rivaled  the  rose  in  Sweetness.  They  were  all 
barefooted,  their  little  feet  resembling  those  of 
children.  For  headgear  they  wore  crowns  of 
golden  hair ;  their  garb  was  a  transparent 
gauze,  shining  like  moonlight,  and  bespangled 
with  gold,  and  they  were  all  armed  with 
spears  of  that  precious  metal.  Awful  was  their 
silence,  their  expression  yet  showing  an  in 
tense  anxiety  to  utter  speech.  The  gate 
slammed  to  with  its  jarring  note  as  soon  as 


tD  fir  5  QDrient.  233 


the  last  camel  was  within  the  precincts,  and 
the  Yemenites  shuddered  at  the  realization  of 
their  being  locked  in  a  dead  city.  Overcome 
by  the  awe  of  the  surroundings,  Cordosa  ex 
claimed  :  "  Great  Lord,  protect  us  !  "  Here 
upon  the  whole  mountain  experienced  a 
tremor,  shared  by  the  life-like  fairies,  who 
appeared  to  shiver  at  the  mention  of  the  Su 
preme. 

It  being  sunset,  Cordosa  directed  the  Bashi 
and  the  guide  to  take  the  caravan  to  the  near 
est  khan,  and  the  next  moment  the  travellers 
entered  a  caravansary,  compared  to  which  the 
Asaad  Pasha  of  Damascus  is  but  an  insignifi 
cant  hostelry.  They  found  the  gate  ajar,  and 
within  there  was  plenty  of  provender,  and  a 
playing  fountain  to  quench  the  thirst  of  man 
and  brute.  A  sumptuous  divan  furnished  with 
the  most  costly  rugs  of  silk,  and  such  seats  as 
are  only  reserved  for  caliphs,  tempted  the 
Arabs  to  rest  their  weary  limbs,  while  the  odors 
of  savory  viands  betrayed  the  neighborhood  of 
a  culinary  institution  of  the  highest  order. 
Following  the  scent  they  entered  a  prodigious 
banquet  hall  of  imperial  splendor.  On  low 


234  ®fa  ttJeirb  (Drient. 

tables  a  royal  feast  was  set  in  glittering  crys 
tal  under  covers  of  gold.  On  the  right  side 
of  each  service  lay  a  golden  rod  not  unlike 
the  sceptre  of  a  king.  Scores  of  fairies  stood 
around  in  the  attitude  of  attendants  eager  to 
serve,  but  stiff  and  lifeless  as  mummies,  dead 
beauty  radiating  from  their  faces  of  immacu 
late  purity. 

Hunger  yielded  to  temptation,  and  the 
Bashi's  example  was  followed  by  the  others, 
except  Cordosa  who,  lost  in  wonder,  would 
not  avail  himself  of  the  magnificent  hospitality 
impliedly  offered  by  beings  who  to  all  appear 
ances  were  dead  ;  if  not  dead  then  strangely 
enchanted  for  some  unaccountable  purpose. 

Neither  had  the  others  time  to  appease 
the  cravings  of  their  appetites ;  for  no  sooner 
was  the  first  dish  uncovered  than  a  multitud 
inous  rustling,  tripping  and  squeaking  caused 
the  astonished  guests  to  turn  their  eyes  to 
ward  the  door,  when  lo,  and  behold  ! — thick 
swarms  of  silvery  mice  came  rushing  and 
tumbling  one  over  the  other,  and,  flying  up  the 
limbs  of  the  horrified  men,  as  squirrels  are 
often  seen  to  run  up  trees,  they  devoured  in 


$!je  tDdrfc  (Orient.  235 

the  twinkling  of  an  eye  whatever  had  been 
laid  bare  to  their  voracity.  The  sumptuous 
banquet  was  turned  into  a  scene  of  horror  and 
disgust,  the  more  so  since  the  pests  seemed 
heedless  of  those  who  were  present,  and  cal 
lous  to  the  blows  which  were  dealt  them  with 
the  golden  rods  that  were  apparently  there  for 
that  purpose.  "  Bring  the  cats  hither,"  com 
manded  Cordosa.  And  as  the  cage  was 
brought  forth  and  opened  the  cats  leapt  forth 
like  tigers  wild  for  prey.  But  nimble  as  pussy 
is,  the  agility  of  her  game  left  her  without  a 
chance  to  do  mischief.  Quick  as  the  vermin 
had  appeared,  they  much  more  quickly  disap 
peared,  as  though  the  swarms  had  been  noth 
ing  but  flitting  shadows. 

Before  it  was  possible  to  restore  the  animals 
to  their  cage,  Cordosa  and  his  subordinates 
were  not  only  startled  by  the  sudden  anima 
tion  of  the  fairies  in  the  banquet  hall,  but  a 
muffled  roar,  as  of  a  victorious  army  without, 
made  them  feel  instinctively  that  a  great 
change  had  come  over  the  dwellers  of  the 
magic  city.  It  was  a  tumult  that  stirred  the 
air  far  and  wide,  was  echoed  and  re-echoed, 


236  ®f)e  todrfc  (Drient. 

until  the  hills  were  vocal  with  the  ringing  vi 
brations  of  countless  voices,  and  before  a 
question  could  be  asked,  in  marched  a  legion 
of  those  admirable  creatures,  who  but  a  little 
before  had  been  seen  in  a  state  of  inanima 
tion.  Arraying  themselves  in  military  form, 
they  presented  arms  and  made  a  profound 
salaam  in  evident  honor  of  Cordosa,  thus  ac 
knowledging  his  title  to  their  respect.  With 
that  unfailing  politeness,  which  is  the  exqui 
site  quality  of  the  refined  Oriental,  the  Hebrew 
begged  to  be  informed  why  he  was  made  the  ob 
ject  of  this  distinguished  attention.  "  Because 
thou  hast  broken  the  spell  which  for  many 
hundred  years  held  the  denizens  of  this  city 
enthralled  by  enchantment,"  was  the  answer. 
There  was  a  genial  affability  in  the  de 
meanor  of  the  child-like  representatives  of  the 
city's  population,  so  that  the  fear  of  their 
being  malicious  genii  vanished,  and  a  confid 
ing  intercourse  took  the  place  of  shrinking 
suspicion.  The  story  they  told  of  their  origin 
and  subsequent  enchantment  is  one  of  ro 
mance,  necromancy,  and  dire  vengeance.  It 
is  briefly  as  follows  : 


©Ije  toeirfc  Orient.  237 

Lilithiana,  the  Peri-Queen  of  the  mountains 
of  Yemen,  had,  in  ages  gone  by,  been  wooed 
by  the  then  two  mighty  magicians  of  Africa, 
known  as  El  Akbor  and  Metemhagi.  El 
Akbor  was  dreaded  as  the  master  of  all  the 
rodent  species,  which  he  had  often  sent  on 
expeditions  of  destruction  to  avenge  wrongs 
or  to  satisfy  malice.  There  was  no  escape 
from  the  instruments  of  his  ire.  Persons  and 
property  were  bitten,  torn,  and  destroyed  ac 
cording  to  his  order.  The  only  power  he 
feared  was  Metemhagi,  who  ruled  all  the 
feline  tribes,  and  could  be  appealed  to  against 
the  plague  his  rival  was  in  a  position  to  in 
flict.  Long  and  assiduous  was  the  courtship 
of  the  twain  necromancers,  and  the  love- 
contest  closed  with  Lilithiana's  declared  pref 
erence  for  Metemhagi. 

The  Peri-Queen  controlled  the  untold 
wealth  hidden  in  the  mountains  of  her  domain, 
was  mistress  of  all  the  genii  within  the  bounds 
of  her  empire,  and  concluded  to  build  an  en 
chanted  city  accessible  to  none  but  her  pro 
geny.  A  host  of  her  aerial  subjects  received 
orders  to  carry  out  their  Queen's  behest,  and 


238  ®lje  iXlrirfc  (Orient. 

the  city  of  marble,  silver  and  gold  was  the  re 
sult  of  one  hour's  workmanship.  Hither  the 
queenly  Peri  retired  with  her  mortal  adorer, 
and  an  impenetrable  zone  of  cloud  was  thrown 
around  the  region  that  had  the  weird  city  as 
its  centre. 

Lilithiana  was  not  long  to  enjoy  her  marital 
felicity.  Her  intimacy  with  a  mortal  deprived 
her  of  the  power  over  Yemen's  genii ;  and  the 
angel,  who  centuries  before  had  expelled  her 
from  Paradise  for  a  slight  trespass,  descended 
to  inform  her  that  her  sin  would  be  visited 
on  her  guiltless  offspring,  her  own  punishment 
being  exile  and  separation  from  her  dear  ones. 
Aware  of  the  Peri's  fall  and  disgrace,  El 
Akbor  assumed  the  deterring  form  of  a  mon 
strous  rat  and,  embracing  his  opportunity, 
threw  himself  among  the  genii  of  Lilithiana's 
realm  during  a  dance  in  the  moonlight.  The 
shock  transformed  them  into  a  swarm  of  sil 
very  mice,  and  the  magician  having  thus 
gained  power  over  them,  uttered  another  in 
cantation,  causing  the  whilom  airy  beings  to 
raven  with  an  insatiate  hunger.  This  glut 
tony  made  them  the  terror  of  Lilithiana's  de- 


®lje  toeirfc  ODrient.  239 

scendants,  who  were  doomed  hereafter  to  live 
only  from  sunset  to  sunrise,  held  by  witch-craft 
the  rest  of  the  time  in  a  death-like  trance. 

Metemhagi's  devotion  to  his  fairest  of  con 
sorts  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  part  with 
her  whose  tender  passion  for  him  had  caused 
her  fall  and  banishment,  and  his  absence 
enabled  the  diabolical  Akbor  to  accomplish  his 
purpose.  Informed  of  the  outrage,  Metem- 
hagi  hurried  to  the  spot  as  fast  as  the  fleetest 
tiger  could  carry  him,  but  found  that  the  spell 
was  to  last  until,  prompted  by  a  higher  power, 
the  intrusion  of  man  with  that  feline  species 
of  whom  the  rodents  are  in  terror  should 
break  the  magic  thrall,  and  restore  matters  to 
their  original  condition.  This  having  hap 
pened,  the  disenchantment  of  the  enthralled 
inhabitants  of  the  superb  city  was  followed 
by  that  of  the  genii  who  had  been  changed  to 
mice.  Lilithiana's  return  to  majesty  came 
next.  Widowed  and  humiliated,  she  had 
hovered  for  centuries  on  the  borders  of  her 
beloved  empire  till  Cordosa's  arrival  in  her 
city  changed  the  aspect  of  things,  and  she 
was  the  Peri-Queen  once  more. 


240  ®t)£  tDeirb  (Drisnt. 

Hitherto  the  nocturnal  revelers  could  not  in 
dulge  their  feast  without  beating  off  the  pesti 
lent  vermin  with  one  hand  while  eating  with 
the  other;  it  was  the  first  time  that  the  banquet 
was  being  enjoyed  in  daylight,  and  without 
the  use  of  the  erstwhile  indispensable  weapon. 
The  viands  served  appeared  as  inexhaustible 
as  the  multitudes  who  entered  the  dining  hall 
to  pay  their  respects  to  Cordosa,  regale 
themselves,  and  file  off  again.  Nor  was  music 
wanting  to  enliven  conviviality.  The  charm 
ing  attendants  ravished  the  souls  of  the 
throng  with  song  so  sweet  that  the  strangers 
had  difficulty  to  prevent  their  eyelids  from 
closing,  lulled  into  obliviousness  by  the  dulcet 
melody.  At  last  Cordosa  alone  remained 
awake ;  the  rest  had  succumbed  to  the  irre 
sistible  charm  of  the  bewitching  voices.  The 
honors  showered  on  Cordosa  were  worthy  of  a 
great  deliverer.  In  a  palanquin  of  the  most  pre 
cious  metal,  studded  with  brilliant  jewels, seated 
on  cushions  softer  than  air,  he  was  carried 
through  the  festively  decked  boulevards  and 
paradisial  gardens,  among  dazzling  palaces  and 
amid  the  joyous  ovations  of  jubilant  crowds. 


toeirfc  Orient.  241 


And  as  soon  as  the  sun  had  withdrawn  his 
last  mellow  beam  from  the  crests  of  the  moun 
tains,  unearthly  splendors  burst  over  the  magic 
city.  The  spectacle  was  one  of  ghostly  awe 
and  august  magnificence.  A  splendid  illumina 
tion  shed  a  flood  of  light  on  towering  edifices 
and  their  resplendent  decorations.  In  a  second, 
grand  triumphal  arches  spanned  every  high 
way,  woven  of  the  Orient's  most  exuberant 
foliage,  flowers  and  blossoms,  each  one 
strewed  thickly  with  the  delicate  petals  of  all 
the  roses  in  creation,  and  the  delighted  denizens 
were  transfigured  in  the  reflex  of  the  weird 
effulgence.  Expectation  sat  visible  on  every 
face,  and  the  reason  became  manifest  when 
the  faint  vibration  of  a  dreamy  music  came 
floating  on  the  balmy  breeze  from  the  lower 
end  of  the  main  boulevard.  The  disenchanted 
genii  celebrated  their  deliverance,  and  prepared 
to  welcome  their  Peri-Queen,  whose  time  had 
come  to  return  from  her  banishment  to  rule, 
surrounded  by  those  whose  image  kept  her 
lover's  memory  green.  The  event  was  to  be 
commemorated  by  a  transcendent  jubilee. 

The  Queen's  cavalry  opened  the  triumphal 
16 


242  ®l)c  toeirb  QDrient. 

entry  with  a  division  of  diminutive  and  lumi 
nous  horsemen,  armed  with  golden  spears, 
mounted  on  tiny  zebras  not  larger  than  kittens, 
and  blowing  trumpets  not  unlike  the  calyx  of 
the  white  lily.  In  an  instant  their  files  flew 
up  the  first  triumphal  arch,  with  no  more  effort 
than  a  bird  makes  when  he  hops  from  one 
twig  to  another.  From  their  lofty  position 
they  watched  the  advance  of  the  Queen's 
artillery,  a  glittering  train  of  golden  cannon, 
mortars  and  howitzers,  on  silver  carriages, 
pulled  by  little  white  elephants  whose  drivers 
in  lustrous  uniform  swelled  the  chorus  by 
bugles  which  varied  the  harmony  with  great 
effect.  An  inclined  span  thrown  by  the  van 
guard  to  the  top  of  an  arch  served  as  a  road  to 
an  elevated  platform,  where  the  ordnance  was 
put  in  position,  loaded  and  pointed  in  every 
direction  of  the  compass.  Beneath  came  the 
body  of  the  great  army,  battalion  on  battalion, 
ascending  and  occupying  in  succession  arch 
after  arch,  until  the  vernal  displays  bristled 
and  blazed  with  the  gorgeousness  of  the  shin 
ing  host.  A  translucent  haze  like  a  veil  of 
atomized  jewels  floated  in  the  atmosphere,  re- 


tXteirfc  (Drumt.  243 


fleeting  the  hues  of  the  rainbow  ;  and  a  thous 
and  bands  accompanied  a  chorus  as  numerous 
as  the  voices  of  the  entire  army  and  population. 
Cordosa's  tears  flowed  freely  ;  the  symph 
ony  proved  too  much  for  his  heart.  The 
pageant  around  him  looked  like  a  dream  of 
blessed  childhood.  He  had  neither  time  to 
feel  nor  to  think.  The  chorus  sang  the  prelude 
to  the  entrance  of  the  Peri-Queen.  Wrapped 
in  a  cloud  as  intensely  bright,  as  though  the 
moon's  light  had  been  concentrated  within  a 
radius  of  a  few  leagues,  Lilithiana  entered  the 
gate  of  her  own  city.  Jubilant  hurrahs  greeted 
her  and  reverberated  a  thousandfold  through 
out  the  hills.  As  the  queenly  train  drew 
nearer,  Cordosa  discerned  in  the  heart  of  the 
mass  of  light  a  gliding  chariot  drawn  by  twelve 
fiery  steeds  as  white  as  the  blaze  around  them. 
In  reclining  ease  Lilithiana  rested  on  pillows  of 
gossamer  apparently  filled  out  with  light.  Her 
golden  hair  hung  like  a  beam  of  mild  sunshine, 
leaving  a  countenance  free,  which  with  its 
star-like  eyes  left  no  hope  for  mortal  beauty 
to  equal  it.  Of  lesser  witchery  yet  unmatched 
by  flesh  however  fair  were  her  nine  attend- 


244  ®1)*  toeirfc  QDrient. 

ing  nymphs,  who  in  another  equipage  rode 
behind  their  mistress,  each  one  holding  a  bag 
full  of  precious  coin.  The  glorious  pageant 
closed  with  a  division  of  brilliantly  mounted 
guards  on  stags  with  golden  hoofs  and  ant 
lers. 

What  was  the  sensation  of  Cordosa  on  per 
ceiving  that  the  Peri-Queen  had  her  eyes  riv 
eted  upon  him.  Before  the  spot  he  occupied 
her  chariot  stopped.  Without  alighting  from 
her  royal  seat,  Lilithiana  spoke  thus  to  the 
astonished  man  : 

"Not  so  much  to  thee,  O,  Cordosa,  do  we 
owe  our  restoration,  and  our  children  their 
disenchantment,  as  to  the  righteous  Ben  Abir 
whose  faith  and  reverence  frustrated  the  de 
signs  of  the  evil  one.  Temptation  lured  him 
in  vain,  and  trials  failed  to  weaken  his  trust 
in  Eternal  Justice.  Yet  hast  thou  done  thy 
share  to  deepen  his  misery.  Why  knows  he 
not  where  his  daughter  hides  ?  Art  thou  not 
afraid  of  retribution  ?  Lead  his  child  to  his 
heart.  And  behold  ! — these  nine  bags  of  gold 
are  destined  for  him.  Take  them  hence  and  de 
liver  them  untouched  as  his  meed  for  virtues 


todr&  (Dmnt.  245 

rare  among  men.  His  cause  is  in  higher 
hands  ;  they  who  injured  him  will  suffer." 

The  air  was  rent  with  cries  of  applause,  and 
the  triumphal  chariot  proceeded  onward.  Fil 
ing  down  from  the  arches,  the  army  stood  in 
marching  order,  and  followed  in  grand  parade. 
The  discharge  of  artillery  shook  the  air ;  the 
musicians  played,  and  the  pageant  moved  on 
and  out  of  sight,  except  the  column  of  moon 
light,  which  faded  slowly  in  the  hazy  distance. 
The  palatial  buildings  burst  out  with  radiance 
from  within,  and  the  happy  crowds  abandoned 
themselves  to  feasting  and  dancing. 

Cordosa's  first  business  now  was  to  load 
the  dromedaries  with  the  treasure  intended 
for  Ben  Abir.  At  the  khan  he  found  it  al 
most  impossible  to  awaken  his  men.  When 
the  Karawan-'Bashi  finally  opened  his  eyes, 
he  looked  stupid  as  an  ox  and  talked  as  if  he 
had  lost  his  senses.  The  guide  was  similarly 
affected.  The  Arabs  seemed  deaf  and  dumb, 
and  Cordosa  felt  alarmed  at  their  state  of  tor- 
pitude.  When  all  his  efforts  to  raise  them 
failed,  he  bethought  himself  of  the  fountain 
and  grasped  a  vessel  with  the  intention  of 


246  Stye  ttkirfc  (Orient. 

throwing  cold  water  on  the  dull  company. 
But  the  fountain  was  gone.  Cordosa  turned 
toward  the  door  of  the  superb  Divan,  where 
they  had  spent  hours  on  the  previous  day ; 
there  was  neither  a  hall  nor  a  door  to  be  seen, 
and  a  sudden  dimness  had  made  all  things 
uncertain.  Still  more  disturbed  by  the  start 
ling  situation,  Cordosa  tried  to  grope  his  way 
into  the  room  of  whose  nearness  he  was  sure, 
but,  instead  of  striking  one  of  the  cushioned 
seats,  he  struck  his  head  against  the  bark  of 
a  tree.  Awaiting  once  more  some  unexpected 
change  he  strained  his  eyes  to  discern  some 
object ;  and  failing  in  the  effort,  knelt  down 
to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  ground  he  was 
on.  Cold  sand,  gravel,  and  wet  grass  ap 
prised  him  of  surroundings  other  than  those 
he  had  supposed  to  be  about  him.  While  fear 
was  gaining  on  him,  a  passing  wind  raised  the 
fog,  and  his  astonished  eye  was  sweeping  in 
vain  in  search  for  the  enchanted — or  disen 
chanted — city. 

The  sun  was  just  throwing  out  his  multi 
colored  couriers  to  inform  continents  of  his 
coming.  A  further  effort  to  awaken  his  men 


tUdrfc  QDront.  247 


proved  successful,  and  Cordosa's  next  care 
was  to  discover  whether  the  cats  were  in  their 
cage,  and  whether  the  gold  bags  made  a  part 
of  what  he  doubted  not  was  a  dream's  phan 
tom.  His  consternation  was  great  when  he 
found  the  cage  empty,  and  counted  nine  bags 
full  to  overflowing  of  the  precious  metal. 
Calling  on  the  Karawan-Bashi  and  the  guide, 
he  thought  it  was  time  to  proceed  homeward. 
"We  have  dreamed  long  enough,"  said  he 
for  a  purpose. 

"Yes,  master,  there  must  be  some  tricksy 
Div  hereabout;  I  have  a  jumble  in  my  head. 
I  could  swear  by  Allah  that  we  have  been  in 
a  grand  city  and  have  witnessed  queer 
things,"  said  the  BasM,  with  a  yawn. 

"By  the  beard  of  the  Prophet,  Basbi,  the 
demon  has  blown  something  of  that  sort  into 
my  own  brain,"  asserted  the  guide.  The 
others  said  nothing.  The  caravan  pursued  its 
way,  and  Cordosa  had  his  eyes  on  the  camels 
that  bore  the  enormous  treasure.  Sanaa  was 
reached  in  safety.  None  of  the  men  noticed 
the  disappearance  of  the  cats. 

Immediately  after  his  arrival  Cordosa  dis- 


248  $f)e  toeirfc  QDrient. 

patched  two  trusty  persons  to  his  country 
retreat,  and  they  returned  with  a  third  in  a 
disguise  which  rendered  identification  impos 
sible.  He  then  sent  for  Ben  Abir  and  insisted 
on  being  informed  as  to  how  he  had  come  into 
possession  of  the  mysterious  coin  that  he  had 
given  him  to  invest.  Filled  with  unutterable 
wonder  at  what  he  heard,  Cordosa  emptied  one 
bag  of  gold  after  the  other,  asking  each  time 
whether  the  pile  he  had  refrained  from  touching 
on  the  specified  Friday  eve  had  been  as  large 
as  the  one  before  him.  Not  before  the  contents 
of  the  ninth  bag  had  been  added  to  the  heap,  did 
Ben  Abir  exclaim,  "So  large,  and  not  larger." 

"Then  take  all  this,  and  be  once  more  the 
Croesus  of  Yemen,  O,  righteous  Ben  Abir  !" 
cried  Cordosa,  and  supplemented  his  words 
by  the  tale  of  the  phantom  city.  It  was  Ben 
Abir's  turn  to  be  overwhelmed  by  astonish 
ment.  "And  now  has  thy  time  come  to  be 
perfectly  happy,"  added  Cordosa,  knowing 
the  contrary  to  be  the  case. 

"Alas,  Ben  Abir's  happiness  will  never, 
never  return! — My  daughter, — my  daugh 
ter  !"  lamented  the  disconsolate  father. 


&lje  toeirfc  (Drient.  249 

"Even  thy  daughter  returns  with  thy  for 
tune,"  said  Cordosa,  and  disappeared  through 
the  door,  which  led  to  his  private  apartments. 
Another  minute  and  the  lost  Estrelia  lay  sob 
bing  in  her  father's  arms.  Ben  Abir  was  a 
happy  man,  but  the  other  felt  that  he  owed 
his  friend  an  explanation,  which  was  substan 
tially  as  follows. 

When  the  jealous  Ayesha  had  learned  of 
the  Imam's  intention  to  glorify  his  harem  by 
the  incomparable  loveliness  of  Ben  Abir's 
daughter,  she  lost  no  time  in  warning  Cordosa 
of  the  maiden's  danger.  Knowing  that  his 
recreant  son  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  infamous 
scheme,  he  felt  himself  called  upon  to  frustrate 
it.  But  once  in  possession  of  the  girl,  whose 
charms  had  lost  him  his  son,  Cordosa  hoped 
against  hope  to  effect  a  change  in  her  feelings 
toward  the  desperate  Menahem.  The  plan 
did  not  work.  Estrelia  detested  the  youth 
who  had  worshipped  her,  but  was  told  that 
her  safety  required  her  removal  to  a  hiding 
place.  Cordosa  was  maturing  a  new  plan 
when  the  supernatural  incidents  of  his  last 
journey  left  him  no  choice.  The  Peri-Queen 


250  &l)e  tiJeirfc  (Drient. 

must  be  obeyed,  lest  misfortune  betide  his 
house. 

Cordosa  asked  Abir's  forgiveness,  pointing 
to  the  great  anguish  of  heart  the  love  affair 
had  caused  him.  The  Croesus  of  Yemen, 
recognizing  the  higher  hand  that  fashioned  his 
destiny,  would  not  have  his  friend  refer  to  it 
hereafter.  "  I  would  to  God  I  could  heal  thy 
wound,  O,  kind-hearted  Cordosa.  My  grati 
tude  and  sympathy  are  thine,  and  if  a  part  of 
this  hoard  will  give  thee  ease,  be  it  thine 
also,"  replied  Ben  Abir. 

But  Cordosa  would  not  entertain  the  thought 
of  being  rewarded  for  services  he  had  ren 
dered  accidentally,  while  Lilithiana's  warn 
ing  not  to  touch  the  gold  was  fresh  in  his 
memory. 

As  the  two  much  tried  men  were  consider 
ing  the  best  way  of  conveying  the  treasure 
quietly  to  the  house  of  its  owner,  Ibraeem 
knocked  at  the  door.  When  admitted,  the 
man  could  scarcely  speak  for  excitement. 
"  The  Imam  is  dead  !"  cried  the  liberated  slave 
out  of  breath. 

"  The    Imam    dead  !— Who    killed    him  ?" 


toeirfc  (JDmnt.  251 


asked  Cordosa,  sure  that  death  had  not  come 
peacefully,  —  else  why  that  commotion  ? 

"He  killed  both  the  Imam  and  the  Kadi," 
supplemented  Ibraeem,  "  He  ran  amuck." 

"Who  is  he?"  asked  Ben  Abir  with  par 
donable  impatience. 

"  Menahem  Cordosa,"  breathed  the  slave, 
betraying  a  delicacy  of  feeling  slaves  are  not 
credited  with.  Cordosa  grew  faint,  and  was 
caught  in  the  arms  of  Ben  Abir. 

"  Menahem  Cordosa  an  assassin  !"  mourned 
the  stricken  parent.  "  It  is  well  that  it  ended 
as  it  did/'  added  Cordosa,  having  recovered 
his  composure.  "Take  your  hoard,  friend, 
and  may  thy  house  prosper." 

"Dost  thou  remember  to  have  ever  seen 
this  heap  of  coin  ?"  asked  Ben  Abir,  seeing 
Ibraeem's  eyes  fascinated  by  the  shining  pile. 

"  That  is  the  gold  we  saw  that  Friday  eve 
before  thy  tent,"  replied  Ibraeem. 

"  Yes,  Ibraeem,  and  then  I  told  thee  that  what 
is  to  be  will  be.  This  all  goes  to  our  house, 
thine  not  less  than  mine,  faithful  Ibraeem, 
who  shall  live  to  the  end  of  thy  days  with  the 
Croesus  of  Yemen,"  said  the  grateful  Ben  Abir. 


THE  FATE  OF  ARZEMIA. 


THE  FATE  OF  ARZEMIA. 


IN  the  ninth  year  of  his  rule  Chosroes 
Nushirvan,  the  conqueror  of  kingdoms, 
sat  one  day  on  his  gem-incrusted  throne, 
surrounded  by  all  the  symbols  of  earthly 
majesty.  The  room  was  the  famous,  star- 
bespangled  hall  of  state  in  his  celebrated 
palace  at  Ctesiphon,  his  capital,  an  edifice  so 
large  that  on  this  occasion  the  entire  division 
of  his  dreaded  "  fifty  thousand  golden  spears  " 
were  required  to  draw  a  cordon  around  its 
enclosure  in  the  heart  of  that  splendid  city  on 
the  bank  of  the  Tigris.  Dazzling  jewels,  ex 
quisite  art,  weird  magnificence,  and  incalcula 
ble  wealth  characterized  the  imperial  scene. 
The  golden  throne  stood  on  a  prodigious  car 
pet  of  silk,  embroidered  in  imitation  of  a  semi- 
tropical  garden, — plant,  leaf  and  blossom  being 

(255) 


256  &lje  tDeirb  UDrient, 

artistically  reproduced  in  gems  of  all  hues, 
from  the  emerald  to  the  sparkling  diamond 
and  sapphire.  The  vaulted  hall  represented 
a  miniature  firmament  adorned  with  golden 
spheres  responding  by  an  operation  of  ma 
chinery  to  the  motions  of  the  planets  and  the 
signs  of  the  zodiac.  Chosroes  was  enclosed 
in  a  brilliant  coat  of  mail,  and  his  hand  rested 
on  a  sword  bedecked  with  jewels  of  untold 
value.  His  crown  was  so  heavy  that  in  order 
to  sustain  its  priceless  weight,  a  golden  chain 
held  it  suspended  over  the  head  of  Iran's 
invincible  lord.  On  a  lower  seat  at  his  right 
hand  sat  the  venerable  Zarathustrotema,  the 
primate  of  all  the  sun-worshippers,  the  high- 
priest  of  the  high-priests ;  while  before  the 
throne  stood  in  servile  attitude  the  chiefs  and 
servitors  of  his  court,  prepared  to  sink  pros 
trate  at  the  nod  of  the  autocrat. 

As  many  eyes  as  there  were  in  the  hall 
threw  furtive  glances  at  the  contracted  brows 
of  the  arbitrary  monarch,  whose  discordant 
mood  was  evident.  Whether  it  was  anger, 
melancholy,  or  despair,  remained  to  be  seen  ; 
there  was  no  beam  in  his  face  to  relieve  the 


tOeirfc  QDrient.  257 


gloom.  Why  that  ill-humor  on  a  day  dedi 
cated  to  festive  joy  ?  For  it  was  the  seventh 
day  after  the  birth  of  a  royal  babe,  the  day 
set  for  the  naming  and  blessing  of  his  new 
born  child.  But  the  mighty  lord  of  Iran  had  for 
six  days  and  nights  been  stirred  by  the  vivid 
picture  of  a  dream  which  caused  his  blood  to 
run  cold  as  often  he  recalled  its  horrifying 
incidents.  His  vision  was  unlike  that  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  who  saw  a  human  form 
fashioned  of  various  metals  shattered  by  a 
fragment  of  rock.  Chosroes  thought  that  he 
was  roaming  through  one  of  his  delightful 
gardens,  teeming  with  singing  birds  and  deli 
cious  fruits,  musing  over  the  great  victories  he 
had  won,  and  the  hoards  which  filled  his 
vaults  with  enormous  wealth,  enabling  him  to 
rival  the  Great  Mughul  in  the  luxuries  of  his 
court.  His  only  worthy  enemy  was  Rome, 
and  even  her  power  seemed  to  bend  to  his 
will.  Might,  pomp,  royal  ease  and  love  were 
his,  —  what  remained  for  him  to  attain  but  the 
rule  of  the  entire  world  ?  '*  First  Rome,  then 
India  !"  cried  he.  But  lo  !  what  is  that  ?  A 
grim  tower  of  siletice  so  near  his  marble  palace, 


(Drient. 


how  did  it  come  there  ?  He  had  never  seen 
it  there  ere  this.  The  towers  of  silence, 
where  the  fire-worshippers  expose  their  dead 
to  be  denuded  of  flesh  by  carrion  vultures, 
earth  being  too  sacred  to  be  polluted  by  the 
decay  of  human  flesh,  are  usually  located  in 
remote  groves,  preferably  on  hills  haunted  by 
the  carnivorous  bird  ;  here  was  one  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  royal  palace,  —  since  when  ?  — 
and  by  whose  order  built  ? 

Chosroes  turned  his  eyes  toward  the  top  of 
the  dismal  building  to  account  for  the  vora 
cious  swarm  of  vultures  that  circled  around  it, 
as  though  a  corpse  had  been  there  deposited, 
and  great  was  his  horror  to  see  the  flock  make 
towards  him.  In  his  confusion  he  tore  a  twig 
from  a  tree  to  beat  off  the  pest  ;  blood  flowed 
from  the  tree  thus  wounded  ;  the  obscene 
swarm  disappeared,  the  tower  vanished,  and 
when  he  looked  at  the  twig  in  his  hand,  he 
soon  accounted  for  its  great  weight  by  finding 
it  to  be  a  sceptre  of  gold,  adorned  by  leaves  of 
resplendent  stones.  Then  he  became  con 
scious  of  a  ravening  hunger,  which  to  satisfy, 
Chosroes  put  forth  his  arm  to  pick  the  nearest 


(Elje  tDeirfc  (Orient.  259 

fruit ;  his  touch  petrified  it  into  a  transparent 
jewel.  Repeated  attempts  had  the  same  re 
sult.  Tormented  by  hunger,  the  king  sent 
his  eye  in  every  direction  in  the  hope  of  help. 
Redoubled  terror  seized  him  on  perceiving  that 
the  entire  garden  turned  into  a  wilderness  of 
blinding  glitter.  A  lamenting  breeze  passed 
through  the  lifeless  masses  of  stiffened  green 
frozen  into  stone, — tree,  fruit  and  blossom 
fiercely  reflecting  the  glare  of  the  sun.  The 
wind  was  the  only  thing  that  moved,  whining 
like  a  ghost  that  passed  to  eternal  perdition. 
Thirst  followed  hunger ;  the  deluded  victim 
turned  to  a  cool  spring  to  find  the  precious 
liquid  therein  crystalized  into  solid  diamonds. 

"  Ahura-Maqda,  if  this  be  an  evil  work  of 
the  devas,  then  send  Voliu  Mano,  Ashem  and 
Armaiti  to  lead  me  into  thy  light !  O,  thou 
who  didst  create  my  being  in  accordance  with 
thy  wisdom  !"  prayed  the  humbled  Shah,  con 
sumed  by  the  double  torment  of  hunger  and 
thirst. 

A  diabolical  laugh  made  the  nightmare 
hideous ;  it  came  from  a  monstrous  shape  hid 
den  behind  a  tree,  a  winged  dragon  with  the 


260  Stye  tUeirfc  CfDmnt. 

head  of  a  man,  the  head  of  one  in  the  royal 
family.  Recoiling  from  that  frightful  appari 
tion,  Chosroes  tried  to  flee,  but  was  inter 
cepted  by  the  same  flock  of  carrion  fowl 
who,  returning,  lighted  on  him  like  so  many 
fiends,  lifting  him  bodily  from  the  ground,  and 
carried  him  to  the  funereal  grating  on  the 
top  of  the  tower  of  silence,  which  seemed  to 
have  again  cropped  up  from  the  ground.  The 
agony  of  being  torn  to  pieces  roused  him  from 
the  horrid  nightmare,  breathing  heavily  and 
trembling  all  over. 

The  first  object  that  met  his  eyes  was  the 
court  master-of-ceremonies,  who,  with  arms 
folded  and  head  inclined,  informed  his  majesty 
of  a  new  royal  birth.  Shirin,  the  envied  and 
most  favored  sultana  of  his  thousands  of 
wives,  had  the  selfsame  night  been  delivered 
of  a  female  child,  as  beautiful  as  is  the  blush 
ing  cheek  of  Arustra.  The  coincidence  of  a 
child's  birth  with  what  he  could  not  help  ac 
cepting  as  a  portent  of  some  catastrophe  to 
come  was  not  to  be  dismissed  by  a  Zarathus- 
trian  to  whom  the  whole  universe  was  one 
vast  battlefield  contested  by  the  hostile  armies 


©rient.  261 


of  Ormuzd  the  good,  and  Ahriman  the  evil. 
Yet  instead  of  consulting  the  wisdom  of  the 
Magi,  high-priests  unerring  in  their  interpreta 
tions  of  dreams  and  casting  of  nativities, 
Chosroes  had  concluded  to  wait  until  the 
seventh  day  after  the  confinement  when  it  is 
the  custom  of  the  votaries  of  Zarathustra  to 
have  the  child  named  by  a  priest,  and  its  hor 
oscope  cast.  That  there  might  be  no  precon 
certed  deception  practiced  by  the  shrewd 
Magi,  a  secret  order  had  been  issued  by  the 
king  to  three  different  fire-temples,  far  apart, 
for  the  head  of  the  local  priesthood  to  report 
at  court  on  a  day  named,  and  the  Zarathus- 
trotema  received  a  call  of  a  similar  nature. 
Thus  did  it  come  about  that  the  throne-hall 
of  Chosroes  Nushirvan  wore  that  awful  solem 
nity  of  pregnant  suspense  which  passed  down 
from  the  head  of  the  empire  to  those  who 
stood  uninformed  and  powerless  at  the  foot  of 
his  throne. 

"Know  thou,  great  head  of  Iran's  light- 
worship,  whom  Ahura-Mazda  illumined,  that 
my  calling  thee  hither  has  a  high  purpose  to 
be  presently  divulged.  From  the  fire-temples 


262  &l)e    Deir&  (Drient. 


of  Ardashir  and  Kanjak  I  had  the  wisest  das- 
turs  summoned  to  appear  before  me  this  day 
to  read  the  stars  in  behalf  of  a  little  daughter 
to  be  named  Arzemia.  Chosroes  Nushirvan 
ordains  it  that  his  daughter's  horoscope  be 
cast  this  hour  by  three  of  the  wisest  Magi, 
each  one  unknown  to  and  unenlightened  by 
the  other.  Thy  presence,  Zarathustrotema, 
shall  wisdom  add  to  wisdom,  should  some  deep 
remain  unfathomed,"  spoke  the  ruler  in  a 
nervous  voice. 

Hereupon  a  venerable  priest  was  ushered 
into  the  royal  presence.  After  paying  the 
proper  homage,  the  Magian  unrolled  a  parch 
ment  bedecked  with  hieroglyphics,  drew  vari 
ous  lines  thereon  with  a  rod  in  his  hand,  then, 
with  his  eyes  turned  toward  the  zodiacal  fig 
ures  set  in  motion  on  the  firmament  of  the 
hall,  he  began  : 

"  The  god-stars  under  whose  auspices  thy 
new-born  child  came  to  this  world  show  me  a 
field  of  light  on  a  background  of  impenetrable 
night.  I  see  a  career  of  strength  and  beauty, 
beams  of  sunshine  swallowed  by  seas  of  dark 
ness.  The  god-stars  favor  Arzemia,  O  king, 


(Orient.  263 

with  more  than  woman's  grace  and  royal 
fame.  Among  immortal  queens  thy  daughter 
will  stand  high  ;  but  length  of  years  Ma^da 
denies  her;  lest  she  rule  and  build,  like  Semir- 
amis,  Ninevehs,  Babylons,  hanging  gardens, 
and  towers  piercing  the  skies.  With  her, 
Iran's  might  and  fame  will  blossom  new,  but 
there  is  a  floating  chaos  back  of  all, — red 
lightning,  bleeding  armies,  wrecked  kingdoms 
and  fallen  thrones.  The  god-stars  reveal  an 
era  of  triumph,  drawing  up  one  of  crime, 
tears,  woe,  blood  and  ruin." 

The  next  horoscoper  assumed  the  air  of  one 
entranced  by  the  adumbrations  of  his  dark 
prophecy,  which  ran  thus  :  "The  powers  of 
Angro  Maniyush  stand  arraigned  against  the 
seed  of  Chosroes  Nushirvan.  Born  under 
Cleopatra's  constellation,  the  child  named 
Arzemia  will  exceed  Egypt's  enchantress  in 
the  quality  which  makes  woman  sovereign, 
and  the  witchery  which  makes  kings  her 
slaves.  A  dark  veil  hides  the  rest ;  let  it  re 
main  unlifted. — Iran's  destiny  breaks  on  my 
vision  in  streaks  of  splendor  dimmed  by  thun 
der-clouds  rising  from  the  eternal  abyss. " 


264  ®l)*  tDeirfc  CSDrient 

"Arzemia's  fate,'*  cried  the  third  prophet 
of  evil,  "is  intertwined  with  that  of  the 
Sasanian  dynasty.  Like  Tadmor's  queen,  she 
will  rule  over  a  mighty  empire  in  combat  with 
one  yet  mightier.  But  not  like  Zenobia's  will 
be  the  end  of  her  career.  Trembling  seizes 
me  as  I  behold  Iran's  great  tragedy,  which 
Ahura-Maqda  wrote  in  the  book  of  fate,  pre 
ceded  by  an  era  of  triumphs  unequalled  in  the 
Orient's  tale.  In  the  distance  I  hear  the  evil 
spirits  whisper  things  to  come,  which  my  lips 
shall  not  articulate.  Why  conjure  night  while 
the  sun  is  at  his  zenith  ? — Rome  is  not  thy 
deadliest  foe,  O,  Chosroes  Nushirvan ;  be 
ware  of  a  serpent  in  thy  bosom." 

The  echo  of  "in  thy  bosom  "  vibrated  in  the 
monarch's  ear,  the  silence  of  the  throne-hall 
being  unbroken  by  a  breath,  so  fearful  was 
the  impression  left  by  the  weird  astrologers. 
With  ill-disguised  alarm  Chosroes  turned  his 
look  on  the  face  of  the  Zarathustrotema,  whose 
mien  betrayed  evidence  of  anxiety. 

"  Why  sees  the  one  not  what  the  other  sees, 
the  god-stars  being  there  unchanged  ?  They 
prophesy  a  queenship  like  three  others  and 


<B)rient.  265 

unlike, — where  the  congruity  ?  Lift  up  the  veil, 
that  certainty  dispel  all  doubt.  If  Persia's 
downfall  be  decreed  on  high  let  the  horoscope 
be  unambiguous  ;  give  me  truth/ '  commanded 
the  autocrat. 

"When,  since  Zarathustra's  blessed  age, 
did  Ahura-Ma^da  bestow  of  his  purest  light  on 
a  mortal,  O,  king  of  kings  ?  The  god-stars 
foreshadow  our  fate,  they  do  not  unequivo 
cally  foretell  it ;  and  man  may  well  be  grate 
ful  for  the  doubt  that  leaves  hope  to  feed  his 
dreams.  Horoscopy  shows  that  the  zodiacal 
signs  under  which  Arzemia  beheld  light  indi 
cate  qualities  of  sovereignty  common  to  those 
three  famous  queens,  leaving  much  unsolved 
to  cherish  bright  probabilities.  Benign  Ma%dat 
lest  impending  evil  mar  the  joy  of  the  happier 
hour,  withholds  the  secrets  of  futurity  from 
our  eye.  Let  not,  I  beseech  thee,  future 
events  overcast  thy  glorious  horizon.  Proceed 
with  thy  triumphant  march,  while  we,  guar 
dians  of  the  sacred  fires,  pray  for  the  success 
of  thy  arms.  If  fall  we  must,  then  let  us  fall 
great.  Let  thine  empire  grow  with  Arzemia, 
her  mind  be  irradiated  by  the  wisdom  of  Zara- 


266  fEfye  tDcirb  (SDrient. 

thustra,  and  her  heart  be  stirred  by  the  emu 
lation  of  Babylon's  immortal  queen/'  closed 
the  primate  of  Iran  appealingly. 

With  an  irrepressible  presentiment  dominat 
ing  his  being,  Chosroes  sought  relief  in  the 
vortex  of  a  reckless  activity,  and  his  still 
swelling  tide  of  fortune  began  to  weaken  the 
apprehension  that  he  was  laboring  under  the 
frown  of  unauspicious  god-stars.  His  cupidity 
seemed  to  grow  with  the  incessant  influx  of 
treasure  sent  by  the  chiefs  of  his  victorious 
armies,  largely  engaged  against  the  forces  of 
the  Roman  emperor,  Heraclius,  and  nothing 
was  too  costly  which  tended  to  gratify  his 
fondness  for  display. 

The  dreaded  auxiliaries  of  the  Persian  army 
were  several  cohorts  of  drilled  elephants. 
Each  division  ot  troops  had  its  elephantine  ac 
companiment,  but  the  fifty  thousand  "  golden 
spears  "  relied  for  effective  pioneer  work  on 
fifty  of  those  prodigious  tramplers  led  by  a 
white  mammoth  called  Mahmud,  the  same 
who,  in  times  bygone,  carried  the  Ethiopian 
king,  Abraba,  when  he  invaded  Mecca.  Mah 
mud  was  elevated  to  the  rank  of  a  general, 


tOeirb  ©rient.  267 


and  he  acted  his  part  with  a  dignity  and  a 
foresight  worthy  of  a  distinguished  strategist. 
His  command  was  trained  to  follow  their  chief 
in  all  he  did,  to  eject  volumes  of  water  and 
mud,  stored  up  for  the  purpose  in  their  capa 
cious  receptacles,  into  the  eyes  of  the  enemy  ; 
to  use  the  proboscis  to  good  advantage,  to 
crush  out  life  and  to  break  the  serried  files 
of  an  advancing  foe.  Mahmud's  onslaughts 
paved  the  way  for  many  a  victory,  and  no 
officer  of  Iran's  great  army  enjoyed  more  con 
sideration  and  affection  than  that  intelligent 
brute.  Whether  at  home  or  in  the  camp, 
Mahmud's  quarters  and  attendants  were  as 
sumptuous  as  those  of  the  other  generals,  while 
his  gold-bestrewed  robe  was  of  the  finest  silk, 
and  embroidered  with  precious  stones. 

With  this  inbreaking  engine,  of  a  resistless 
momentum,  as  a  wedge  for  an  enormous  host, 
swelled  by  new  levies  and  animated  by  dash 
ing  generals,  Chosroes  Nushirvan  not  only 
wrested  Asia  Minor  from  the  Roman  ^rip,  but 
had  his  banner  carried  as  far  as  Libya,  Egypt 
and  Carthage.  In  the  ample  vaults  of  his 
white  palace  the  insatiate  king  received  and 


268  ©ije  ttkirb  QDricnt. 

hoarded  the  spoils  of  nations,  exhibiting  only 
valueless  trophies  for  the  edification  of  the 
populace  and  a  disaffected  nobility.  In  his 
domestic  relations  the  lord  of  Iran  was  an  un 
just  father,  a  tyrant,  a  poltroon,  and  a  pomp 
ous  braggart,  owing  his  power  and  prestige  to 
the  bravery  of  his  generals  ;  but  conspiracy 
was  lurking  where  he  least  suspected  it. 

The  stir  and  clash  of  armies  and  the  over 
throw  of  kingdoms  did  not  disturb  the  early 
childhood  of  Arzemia,  who,  in  the  retreats  of 
the  imperial  harem,  blossomed  into  adorable 
maidenhood,  endowed  with  talents  of  the 
highest  order  and  a  thirst  for  knowledge  sel 
dom  heard  of  in  Oriental  courts.  Infatuated 
with  his  charming  daughter,  Chosroes  lav 
ished  treasures  in  surrounding  her  with  all  the 
luxuries  of  a  queen,  and  provided  a  staff  of 
wise  heads  to  imbue  her  with  the  essence  of 
Zarathustrian,  not  less  than  secular,  wisdom. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  Arzemia  astonished  the 
court  by  her  appearance  at  her  father's  side 
in  the  hall  of  audience.  Robed  in  a  purple 
dress,  with  a  blaze  of  gems  in  the  shape  of  a 
heart  on  her  left  breast,  and  a  sparkling  tiara 


toeirfc  (Drient.  269 


on  her  head,  the  enthroned  princess  looked 
more  like  a  goddess  than  a  maiden  prema 
turely  developed.  To  the  courtiers  at  the  foot 
of  the  throne  she  appeared  an  image  of  a  dream, 
perfect  in  form,  ineffably  beautiful,  and  di 
vinely  self-sufficient,  her  eyes  darting  those 
arrows  which  strike  the  incurable  wound. 

It  was  a  great  gala  day.  Among  the  trophies 
laid  before  the  throne,  was  the  true  cross 
brought  by  the  famous  general  who  had  taken 
Jerusalem  ;  and  a  slip-shod  envoy  from  the 
interior  of  Arabia  was  to  be  heard,  —  the  main 
object,  however,  being  the  debut  of  Shirin's 
adorable  daughter. 

"  Is  it  homage  or  tribute  that  thou  bringest 
hither  from  my  slaves  in  Arabia  ?"  asked 
Chosroes  of  an  uncombed  Bedouin  in  sluttish 
habit. 

In  lieu  of  answer,  the  Arab  impassively 
delivered  a  missive  in  writing,  and  gave  no 
sign  that  the  splendor  of  the  scene  overawed 
him.  Translated,  the  message  read:  "  In  the 
name  of  the  most  merciful  God  !  Mohammed, 
son  of  Abdallah  and  apostle  of  God,  to  Chos 
roes  Nushirvan,  king  of  Persia  —  " 


270  ®lje  tOnrfc  QDrienl. 

"Hold,  fool!  What  do  I  hear!  Does  a 
savage  slave  of  the  desert  dare  put  his  name 
before  mine  in  writing  ?"  cried  the  autocrat  in 
great  anger,  seizing  the  document  and  tearing 
it  to  pieces. — "Get  this  dog  out  of  my  sight, 
and  write  to  my  satrap  in  Yemen  that  there 
lives  a  madman  in  Medina  who  claims  to  be  a 
prophet ;  if  he  cannot  cure  him,  let  him  send 
me  his  head/' 

With  this  incident  closed  a  scene  that  had 
been  fraught  with  vast  consequence  for  Iran, 
and  with  not  less  significance  for  Arzemia. 
Henceforth  visions  different  from  those  that 
haunted  her  brain  in  the  harem's  privacy  in 
vaded  her  imagination.  There  had  been  eyes 
in  the  hall  of  a  glow  and  a  sympathy  so  pas 
sionately  contagious  that  the  entire  being 
seemed  irrevocably  absorbed  in  that  enchant 
ing  look.  It  was  a  woman's  first  passion, 
which  she  was  unable  to  analyze.  Before 
that  event  her  active  spirit,  if  not  engaged  in 
fathoming  the  mysteries  of  Zarathustra,  de 
lighted  in  the  weaving  of  fantastic  tissues,  with 
heroes  and  heroines  as  the  forerunners  of  her 
future  greatness.  Destined  by  the  god-stars  to 


Stye  tUcird  (Orient.  271 

wear  a  crown,  what,  with  Iran  as  her  heritage, 
could  prevent  her  from  eclipsing  the  achieve 
ments  of  Semiramis  ?  The  entire  world  then 
lay  prostrate  at  her  feet ;  kings  and  Caesars 
would  worship  her.  Why  not  rather  be  a 
goddess  than  the  mate  of  a  mortal,  even  if  he 
be  a  Ninus,  an  Antony,  or  an  Odenatus  ?  Why 
not  shine  like  blessed  Mithra,  who  illumines 
the  heavens  unmated  ?  "  Be  one  man's  in 
ferior  companion  rather  than  the  awe  and  adora 
tion  of  the  great  world  ?  This  was  thy  folly, 
ill-fated  Cleopatra,  and  thine,  nobler  Zenobia ; 
but  the  child  of  Derceto  proved  herself  worthy 
of  her  divine  mother,  and  Arzemia  shall  not  be 
less  than  Semiramis,  with  no  Ninus  to  divide 
her  empire,"  were  the  last  words  of  a  reverie 
overheard  by  Shirin.  And  the  sultana  thought 
it  high  time  to  draw  the  budding  maiden  into 
the  open  world.  Her  period  of  childhood  was 
ended. 

"  Thou  knowest,  my  lord,  that  our  child's 
angelic  beauty  is  far  exceeded  by  the  brilliancy 
of  her  mind  ;  that  she  has  mastered  the  lan 
guages  spoken  by  the  great  nations,  and  the 
wisdom  taught  by  the  Magi ;  but  since,  obey- 


272  &t)e  todrir  (Orient. 

ing  thy  behest,  I  cautiously  gave  her  some  in 
timation  of  her  horoscope,  I  perceive  a  change 
in  her  demeanor  which  gives  me  much  con 
cern.  Seeking  the  lonely  haunts  of  our  gar 
dens,  Arzemia  acts  as  though  she  held  com 
munion  with  spirits,  discoursing  on  the  hollow- 
ness  of  love,  and  dreaming  of  a  superhuman 
destiny  reserved  for  her  by  the  god-stars. 
Ahura-Ma^da  has  granted  us  the  blessed  child 
to  cheer  our  later  years.  Our  daughter  is  a 
harp  strung  to  charm  discord  and  to  scatter 
gloom,  not  to  be  untuned  by  disuse.  May  the 
fearful  devas  pass  her,  who  roams  in  realms 
too  visionary  to  be  safe  !"  prayed  the  schem 
ing  sultana,  sure  of  her  game. 

"  What  wouldst  thou  have  me  do,  Shirin  ? 
Give  her  in  marriage  to  the  man  whom 
Chosroes  honors  most  ?  "  asked  the  father  im 
periously,  early  marriage  being  compatible 
with  Zarathustra's  moral  teachings. 

''Not  now,  my  lord  ;  let  the  child  see  the 
court,  the  court  see  her,  before  the  question  of 
love  is  broached,"  suggested  the  emboldened 
sultana. 

"Sultana,  it  was  my  pleasure  that  exalted 


tOeirb  QDrient.  273 


thee  above  the  fairest  of  my  harem,  and  thy 
son  above  his  brothers;  it  is  love's  triumph, 
and  thy  daughter,  favored  by  the  god-stars, 
shall  be  favored  more  than  ever  princess  was. 
Arrayed  like  Arustra,  she  shall  receive  her 
first  homage  at  my  side,"  promised  the  auto 
cratic  sire.  And  so  did  Shirin  once  more  tri 
umph  over  her  rivals  in  royal  grace. 

Thus  drawn  into  publicity  at  her  mother's 
initiative,  Arzemia  dazzled  the  court  with  her 
houri-like  graces  not  less  than  her  imperial 
bearing.  Here  it  was,  however,  that  the  girl's 
heart  received  the  winged  arrow  from  love's 
unerring  bow,  shattering  all  foregone  imagin 
ings  as  a  spire  smitten  by  lightning.  It  was 
as  though  a  curtain  had  risen  to  reveal  a  magic 
scene  with  one  fascination  greater  than  all  the 
others  —  and  he  a  man  whose  like  could  well  ac 
count  for  love  like  Zenobia's,  and  madness  like 
Cleopatra's.  In  frame  but  little  above  the 
average,  otherwise  a  figure  reminiscent  of  the 
war-god  whom  the  Olympians  feared;  unhand 
some,  but  imposing  ;  complexion  olive,  nose 
aquiline,  eyes  deep,  black,  flashing  but  mild  ; 

chin  hidden  by  a  beard,  raven  black  ;  heavy 
18 


274  ®be  ttfcitfc  (Orient. 

hair  and  mustache  harmonizing  with  the  beard ; 
thick,  arched  eyebrows  ;  a  curling,  sensuous 
lip  ;  shapely  feet,  shapelier  hands  ;  the  whole 
in  the  attire  of  a  Persian  general.  Such  was 
Shahrbaraz  to  whose  talents  Chosroes  was 
largely  indebted  for  his  most  valuable  con 
quests.  Covered  with  glory,  cumbered  with 
royal  favors,  flattered  by  the  courtier,  idolized 
by  the  army,  and  lionized  by  the  people,  the 
general  had  hardly  anything  to  wish  for  when 
Arzemia's  eye  met  his  ;  then  all  other  ambi 
tions  paled  before  the  one,  all-devouring  pas 
sion  to  kneel  in  tender  worship  before  her  who 
looked  so  much  more  divine  than  human. 

That  was  Arzemia's  day  of  destiny,  and  it 
did  not  close  without  an  incident  which 
alarmed  both  king  and  court.  The  cause  was 
a  sealed  document  found  before  the  celebrated 
grand  portal  of  Chosroes  Nushirvan's  white 
palace,  warning  the  monarch  that  a  plot  was 
ripe  to  overthrow  him  by  a  sudden  blow,  and 
that  the  bodyguard  was  implicated  in  the 
nefarious  conspiracy.  Prompt  action  was  ur 
gent,  and  Chosroes,  frightened  out  of  his  wits, 
summoned  his  bravest  general  to  take  tern- 


QDrient.  275 


porary  charge  of  his  capital  and  palace. 
Shahrbaraz  pledged  himself  to  continued  vigi 
lance  until  the  conspirators  should  be  brought 
to  grief  —  "  Within  the  walls  of  Ctesiphon  are 
twelve  thousand  golden  spears  ;  twenty-five 
thousand  more  are  within  the  courier's  call  ; 
let  not  thy  peace  be  disturbed,  oh,  my  sover 
eign  ;  Shahrbaraz  will  not  sleep,"  spoke  the  re 
sourceful  strategist  with  an  inward  laugh,  and 
proceeded  to  arrange  matters  to  suit  himself. 

Unaware  of  the  cause  which  stirred  the 
authorities  of  the  court,  the  people  wondered 
at  the  feverish  activity  of  the  military.  Large 
bodies  of  troops  moved  out,  larger  ones  moved 
into  the  fortifications  of  the  splendid  city,  so 
that  with  the  descent  of  night  every  access 
to  the  palace  was  under  strong  guard,  and 
Ctesiphon  presented  the  aspect  of  a  besieged 
place,  prepared  to  repel  an  aggressive  enemy. 
What  was  going  to  happen  that  night  ? 

As  to  Arzemia,  untouched  by  this  wave  of 
commotion,  she  abandoned  herself  to  an  over 
mastering  passion,  burning  to  the  core  of  her 
fiery  nature;  and,  succumbing  to  the  fever  of 
her  soul,  she  fled  the  confinement  of  her  sump- 


276  ®ije      drfc  QDtient. 

tuous  bed-chambers  to  seek  the  cooling  breeze 
in  the  garden,  a  separate  enclosure  within  the 
royal  park.  It  was  night,  and  the  darkness  was 
hardly  broken  by  the  thin  crescent  of  the  new 
moon,  when  the  princess  nimbly  picked  her 
way  to  a  sequestered  nook  on  a  terrace 
whence  in  daylight  an  extensive  view  of  the 
pleasure-ground  was  afforded.  Here  in  a  re 
cess  was  an  arbor  furnished  exquisitely,  and 
here,  in  the  posture  of  supplication,  the 
maiden  invoked  the  help  of  Zarathustra's 
revealed  Power — Ahura-Ma^da. 

"Thou,  eternal  Ahura~Ma%da,  the  god  of 
gods,  the  creator  of  light,  who  furtherest 
throughout  all  space  the  good  and  the  true, 
the  holy  and  the  beautiful, — and  ye  bright 
ministers,  who  yearn  to  do  his  bidding, — if 
what  I  feel  as  fire  burning  in  my  heart  is  love 
by  heaven  kindled,  then  let  no  barrier  stand 
between  the  one  for  whom  I  burn  and  me, — 
yea,  no  longer  than  the  time  required  for  two 
wind-lashed  flames  to  rush  together  and  melt 
in  one  celestial  blaze.  Messengers  of  Ahura- 
Ma^da,  my  message)  carry  to  him  whom  fate 
has  named  my  lord  ;  bend  ye  walls,  be  deaf 


tDeirb  Orient.  277 


ye  watchmen,  that  he  who  loves  Arzemia  fly 
hither  unhindered  !" 

There  had  been  a  mysterious  gleam  on  the 
lower  balconies  of  the  palace  ;  it  flared  up, 
vanished,  reappeared  again,  and  once  more; 
and  then  nothing  was  seen  or  heard  save  at 
the  postern  of  the  garden,  where  the  signal 
must  have  been  looked  for  and  understood. 
Swift  as  a  hind  there  sped  from  the  mazes  of 
the  darkened  palace  a  human  figure  athwart 
the  semi-tropic  thickets  of  the  grounds,  ad 
mitted  another  one  through  the  rear-gate, 
whispered  a  few  syllables,  and  returned  to 
the  white  pile  of  a  thousand  apartments 
hushed  in  perfect  silence.  The  intruder, 
obviously  informed  of  the  whereabouts  of  his 
object,  glided  like  a  ghost  toward  Arzemia's 
retreat,  and  stood  enchanted  by  the  voice 
which  articulated  the  essence  of  his  highest 
felicity.  Hardly  did  the  last  word  die  on  her 
lip  when  the  problematic  person  sank  on  his 
knees  and,  inclining  his  head  as  in  adoration, 
spoke  in  a  tone  thrilling  with  passion,  "  Divine 
child,  whom  Ahura-Ma^da  graces  with  the 
light  of  his  countenance,  grant  me  the  privilege 


278  ®l)£  tDdrfc  ©rient. 

to  worship  at  thy  feet,  an  humble  supplicant, 
my  heart  being  thine,  my  soul  thine — for 
ever  thine." 

The  frightened  maiden  would  have  screamed 
for  help  had  not  the  voice  she  heard  recalled  a 
succession  of  notes  that  were  still  ringing  in 
her  ears.  In  a  second  she  realized  what  she 
trembled  to  believe  possible. 

"And  who  art  thou,  most  daring  of  men, 
who  fearest  not  to  invade  the  inviolable  pri 
vacy  of  Chosroes  Nushirvan's  daughter  ?" 
cried  the  maiden  in  fluttering  apprehension, 
dreading  the  realization  of  her  prayer. 

"Forgive!  I  am  not  what  I  was  before 
thine  eye  smote  me  with  madness  to  be  thy 
votary — thy  slave, — or  not  to  be  at  all,"  was 
the  answer. 

"  Ahura-Ma^da!  thou  the  man  whom  Iran 
honors — thou,  Shahrbaraz  ?"  cried  the  girl. 

"Thy  servitor,  thy  slave  in  eternity,"  was 
the  appealing  reiteration. 

"  The  auspicious  god-stars  brought  thee 
hither.  Oh  !  but  humble  not  Arzemia  in  thus 
humbling  thyself ;  the  god-stars  have  linked 
our  fates  and,  come  what  may,  I  am  thine, 


<2Drient.  279 

yea,  and  thou  art  mine  in  eternity  !"  ex 
claimed  the  enraptured  maiden. 

"  My  heaven  !"  was  the  laconic  ejaculation 
of  the  great  soldier  who,  leaping  to  his  feet, 
embraced  her  rapturously,  pressing  her  to  his 
heart. 

As  if  in  hymeneal  sympathy  with  love's 
delicious  union,  the  bulbul  poured  forth  a 
stream  of  soul-stirring  song,  the  sweet  cadence 
calling  forth  responsive  notes  from  the  thick 
of  sylvan  recesses.  Tears  flowed  from  the 
eyes  of  Arzemia  and  fell  on  the  face  of  her 
lover,  who  raised  her  like  an  infant  in  his 
mighty  arms,  covering  her  cheeks  with  pas 
sionate  kisses. 

"Thy  tears  of  bliss  will  make  the  angels 
weep  in  paradise,  sweet  goddess,"  whispered 
Persia's  world-renowed  hero. 

"The  bulbul! — I  never  heard  the  bulbul 
sing  so  sad,  so  sweet,  so  prophetic  ;  ah  !  it 
seems  to  sigh  and  weep  and  speak  to  my  heart 
of  things  words  cannot  express  !  Some  spirit 
moves  it  to  move  our  hearts,"  breathed  Arze 
mia  with  emotion. 

"Thou  art  creation's  sympathetic  harp,  re- 


280  ®be  tDeirb  (Dmnt. 


sponsive  to  spiritual  harmonies  lower  natures 
fail  to  realize  ;  the  bird's  melody  is  to  me  an 
unmeaning  song,  but  in  thy  voice  I  hear 
Mazda's  music  which  moves  the  heavenly 
spheres,"  said  Shahrbaraz  softly, 

"  It  is  bliss  to  receive  tribute  from  the  lip  of 
love  ;  but  what  a  thing  am  I,  compared  with 
thee,  Iran's  pride,  who  smote  the  Roman  and 
took  his  holy  city  !  Who  has  done  a  greater 
deed  ?  If  the  armies  of  Chosroes  were  thine, 
wouldst  thou  not  conquer  the  world  ?" 

"  I  have  conquered  earth  and  heaven,  star 
of  my  felicity  ;  thou  being  mine,  what  remains 
in  all  the  worlds  to  wish  for  ?  To  smite  the 
Roman  and  take  his  holy  city  was  less  an 
achievement  than  to  come  near  to  thee,  the 
pearl  of  beauty,  reached  at  greater  hazard 
than  he  faces  who  dives  into  the  ocean's  abyss 
in  quest  of  treasure,"  affirmed  the  general. 

"  Alas,  thou  art  right  !  O,  gods  !—  Thy  life, 
thy  dear  life  —  shouldst  thou  be  found  at  this 
hour  with  me  at  this  place  !  Dearest,  what 
power  enabled  thee  to  pass  the  guards,  whose 
heads  would  answer  for  thy  presence  where 
the  king  alone  has  right  ?  —  Go  hence,  O,  my 


281 

soul's  adorer,  my  heart's  adored,  go  hence, 
lest  the  devas  thwart  our  happiness !  I  hear 
the  friendly  spirits  whisper — depart,"  urged 
Arzemia,  awaking  to  the  danger  that  beset  her 
lover  under  the  circumstances. 

"Thy  prayer,  child  of  light,  that  bade  the 
walls  to  bend  and  the  watchmen  to  be  deaf, — 
yea,  and  love,  whom  Orpheus  followed  to  the 
world  of  shades,  have  leveled  my  pathway 
hither,  fearless  of  fate.  They  who  enter 
heaven  laugh  death  to  scorn.  Thy  presence 
renders  me  invulnerable  to  mortal  steel.  Ah! 
waste  no  second,  cherub,  in  the  thought  of 
death  or  danger,"  cried  Shahrbaraz  ardently. 

"Forbid  it,  Ahura-Ma%da,  that  Iran's  glory 
be  smitten  by  a  treacherous  hand  ! — Yet  play 
not  with  the  envious  fates,  lest  they  grow 
jealous  of  Arzemia's  bliss,  who  would  no 
heaven  take  for  what  is  here  on  earth,"  cried 
the  girl  appealingly. 

"Let  all  thy  cares  henceforth  be  mine, 
divine  Arzemia.  My  '  golden  spears  '  hold 
every  fort  and  gate,  and  have  no  will  but  that 
of  thy  Shahrbaraz,  who  could  be  king  this 
hour  were  he  inclined.  To  come  near  thee  I 


282  ®e  tonrb  (Orient 


had  to  act  my  part  unfair  or  fair  ;  love  knows 
no  scruples.  A  scheme  devised  by  me  and 
taken  seriously  by  the  king  gave  me  control  of 
Ctesiphon  and  court,"  explained  the  strategist. 

"  The  god-stars  rule  that  I  be  queen  one  day 
and  thou  my  king  ;  my  Ninus  thou,  I  thy 
Semiramis,  with  Rome  and  Iran  prostrate  at 
our  feet  !  —  Ah,  there  a  light  !"  exclaimed  the 
girl  in  alarm,  her  eyes  having  caught  a  glim 
mer  in  the  palace. 

"It  is  the  signal  for  me  to  begone,"  said 
Shahrbaraz,  and  a  moment  later  the  postern 
closed  behind  him,  having  given  and  received 
the  kiss  that  is  a  taste  of  Elysian  rapture. 

The  clandestine  intercourse  between  the 
greatest  general  and  the  fairest  princess  of 
Iran  was  thus  carried  on  for  a  time,  when 
revolutionary  changes  threw  Ctesiphon  into 
confusion.  Chosroes  Nushirvan's  court  was  a 
hotbed  of  intrigue,  and  his  harem  a  seething 
caldron,  overflowing  with  all  the  vices  and 
evils  engendered  by  arbitrary  rule.  Among 
the  host  of  jealous  females  under  the  roof  of 
the  palace,  Shirin,  the  Christian  sultana,  had 
the  upper  hand,  having  charmed  her  lord  to 


Qtt)e  toeirft  ©dent.  283 

the  extent  of  disinheriting  and  imprisoning 
Kavadh,  the  legitimate  heir  to  the  throne,  in 
favor  of  her  son  Mardanshah.  But  a  turn  of 
the  wheel  gave  Kavadh  the  reins  of  govern 
ment,  and  his  first  act  was  to  drag  his  wretched 
father  into  his  vaults  of  uncounted  treasures, 
and  let  him  perish  there  of  hunger.  Seven 
teen  brothers  were  next  executed  to  insure 
the  rule  of  the  monstrous  parricide.  These 
fearful  crimes  were  inspired  less  by  vengeance 
than — who  would  have  dreamed  it  ? — by 
Kavadh's  vehement  passion  for  Shirin.  But 
the  distracted  sultana  recoiled  with  loathing 
from  the  murderer  of  her  husband  and  her 
son,  and  when  the  miscreant  resorted  to  force 
he  held  a  bleeding  corpse  in  his  arms,  the 
sultana  having  ended  her  life  by  a  self- 
inflicted  wound.  Arzemia  was  her  only  sur 
viving  child,  and  Shahrbaraz  knew  how  to 
provide  for  the  safety  of  his  worshipped  prin 
cess.  Shortly  after  Kavadh  fell. 

During  the  chaotic  conditions  which  followed 
the  fall  of  Kavadh,  Shahrbaraz  matured  a  plot 
for  the  usurpation  of  Iran's  sovereignty.  Sus 
tained  by  his  fifty  thousand  golden  spears, 


284  ®l)£      nrfc  ©rient. 

and  favored  by  Arzemia's  friends,  the  dashing 
general  entered  Ctesiphon  in  triumph,  and 
had  himself  crowned  in  the  palace  of  the 
voluptuous  Chosroes.  When  it  transpired 
that  Arzemia  [not  alone  favored  the  usurper, 
but  was  going  to  be  wedded  to  him  in  the 
imperial  fire-temple,  her  many  suitors  com 
bined  in  organizing  a  conspiracy,  headed  by 
Faruch-Zad,  the  mighty  satrap  of  Khorassan, 
who  was  desperately  in  love  with  the  princess. 
Shahrbaraz  was  assassinated  on  the  day  set 
for  his  wedding,  his  body  was  mutilated  and 
dragged  by  an  ass  through  the  streets  of 
Ctesiphon.  Arzemia's  horror  was  scarcely 
exceeded  by  her  sorrow  and  her  vengeance  ; 
and  her  opportunity  was  not  slow  in  coming, 
being  called  to  the  succession  of  her  father's 
throne,  when  Faruch-Zad  urged  his  suit  with 
obtrusive  audacity.  Policy  forced  her  to 
smile  on  the  man  she  hated,  while  her  armies 
were  engaged  in  the  fateful  struggle  against 
the  now  all-conquering  hordes  of  overflowing 
Islam.  Impatient  of  delay  and  tortured  by 
uncertainty,  the  satrap  of  Khorassan  resolved 
to  take  by  force  what  was  denied  him  by 


ti)dr&  (Orient.  285 

favor.  But  the  queen's  friends  learned  of  the 
plot ;  Faruch-Zad's  followers  were  overpow 
ered  at  the  portal  of  the  palace,  and  he  was 
arraigned  as  a  traitor  before  the  one  whose 
hatred  for  him  could  hardly  be  surpassed  by 
his  love  for  her.  Arzemia  blessed  the  gods  for 
the  chance  thus  afforded  her  to  avenge  the 
murder  of  Shahrbaraz.  She  apostrophized 
the  culprit  with  bitter  contumely,  and  had  him 
executed  under  most  cruel  circumstances. 

Faruch-Zad  was  not  dead  an  hour  when 
tidings  from  the  battle-field  spread  consterna 
tion  in  the  court.  The  golden  lances,  long 
held  to  be  invincible,  sustained  a  crushing  de 
feat  at  the  hands  of  Islam's  votaries,  and 
among  the  slain  was  Mahmud,  the  intelligent 
elephant,  who  bled  to  death  through  a  wound 
struck  at  the  extremity  of  his  trunk.  Mahmud's 
fall  was  generally  accepted  as  prophetic  of 
worse  things  to  follow,  and  Arzemia,  seeing  her 
empire  crumbling,  turned  to  the  Magi  for  an  un- 
garbled  version  of  her  horoscope  which  was  kept 
for  reference  in  the  royal  archives.  With  fatal 
istic  resignation  the  youthful  queen  listened  to 
the  dark  prophecies  associated  with  her  birth, 


286  ftlje  tPdrfc 


and  insisted  on  having  her  father's  dream  read 
to  her,  it  having  been  kept  on  record  with  the 
documents  of  her  nativity.  Deeply  impressed 
by  the  fearful  purport  of  her  sire's  vision  on  the 
night  of  her  coming  into  this  world,  and  re 
membering  its  ghastly  realization  in  subsequent 
developments,  Arzemia  exclaimed  resignedly, 
"It  is  Ahura-Ma^da9  s  immutable  decree  that 
Iran's  ancient  glories  fade  with  me  at  whose 
birth  the  god-stars  frowned.  Were  it  not 
better  for  Arzemia  not  to  have  been  born  ?  " 

The  queen  had  hardly  uttered  these  words 
when  an  ominous  noise  in  the  royal  court 
yard  caused  her  armed  guard  to  rush  toward 
the  entrance  of  the  palace.  Here  they  were 
met  by  a  desperate  band  of  conspirators  led 
by  a  relative  of  Faruch-Zad.  The  encounter 
was  short  and  decisive.  Arzemia  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  avenger  of  the  dead  satrap,  was 
tortured  with  refined  cruelty,  and  put  to  death 
ignominiously. 

Thus  perished  the  noblest  and  most  virtuous 
sovereign  lady  of  one  of  the  greatest  empires 
which  succumbed  to  the  sword  of  Islam. 


THE 
STUDENT  OF  TIMBUCTU. 


THE 
STUDENT  OF  TIMBUCTU. 


AT  the  close  of  the  year  1578  the  slave- 
markets  of  Mauritania  were  glutted 
to  their  uttermost,  and  for  once  the 
price  of  a  male  slave  was  less  than  that  of  a 
donkey.  This  overstock  of  human  ware  was 
due  to  the  thousands  of  prisoners  who  had 
survived  the  fateful  battle  fought  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Al-Kesar  Kebir,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Elmahassen,  between  the  invading  army 
of  Dom  Sebastian,  the  youthful,  overbearing 
monarch  of  Lusitania,  and  the  host  of  Muley 
Abd-al-Melek,  the  formidable  Emir-al-Mume- 
min,  the  Commander  of  the  true  believers, 
the  Seedna  or  lord  of  the  Moorish  Empire.* 

*  This  battle  and  the  fate  of  Dom  Sebastian  as  nar 
rated  in  this  tradition  agrees  with  historical  fact. 
19  (  289  ) 


290  ®b*  toeirft  Orient. 

The  Moslem's  cruelty  to  his  Christian  slaves 
rose  in  proportion  to  the  latter's  decline  as 
marketable  articles,  and  fanaticism  revelled 
in  the  daily  spectacle  of  crusaders  doomed  to 
immurement,  because  of  their  refusing  to  em 
brace  Islam  by  uttering  the  Fatha.  The  irony 
of  the  historic  whirligig  showed  itself  in  the 
fact  that  the  Catholic  Auto-da-f£  had  its  coun 
terpart  in  the  frightful  doom  of  a  king  and  an 
army  led  by  the  flower  of  his  nobility,  who, 
barely  a  hundred  miles  from  the  coast  of  their 
kingdom,  had  to  choose  between  apostasy  or 
being  immured  alive  for  the  edification  of  the 
vengeful  Moor.  The  wretches  were  compelled 
to  prepare  their  own  graves,  usually  cells  in 
the  city's  wall,  one  Christian  bricking  up  his 
fellow  only  to  be  in  turn  entombed  alive  him 
self. 

A  melancholy  distinction  was  reserved  for 
the  royal  zealot,  Dom  Sebastian,  who  had  en 
countered  crushing  defeat  and  humiliation. 
With  less  than  half  of  his  smitten  chivalry  .and 
valiant  soldiers  he  saw  himself  in  the  power  of 
an  inexorable  foe,  himself  wounded  and  in 
chains  pining  in  the  vile  dungeon  of  Mequinez, 


ODmnt.  291 

one  of  the  Sultan's  capitals,  the  others  being 
Fez  and  Morocco.  After  the  obsequies  of  the 
unmourned  Seedna,  who  had  died  on  the  field 
of  battle,  his  son  and  successor,  having  been 
proclaimed  Sultan,  and  crowned  in  the  holy 
shrine  of  Mulai  Edris  at  Fez,  proposed  to  cele 
brate  his  coronation  by  the  entombment  alive 
of  the  Christian  king  who  had  invaded  his 
father's  empire,  notwithstanding  the  warning 
of  the  late  Shereef  that  the  unjust  inroad 
would  surely  land  the  aggressors  in  ruin.  His 
Majesty  furthermore  remembered  the  treach 
erous  proceeding  of  Sebastian,  who,  at  the 
end  of  the  decisive  battle,  had  caused  a  white 
flag  to  be  displayed,  but  had  broken  the  truce 
by  throwing  himself  with  fifty  of  his  knights 
into  the  thick  of  the  Moorish  ranks,  causing 
slaughter  and  consternation,  and  resulting  in 
the  death  of  the  late  Sultan. 

But  the  strongest  motive  of  the  young 
Shereef  fs  dire  vengeance  was  the  unaccount 
able  loss  of  his  sire's  priceless  crown,  which 
Muley  Abd-al-Melek  was  in  the  habit  of  car 
rying  with  him  whithersoever  he  went,  wear 
ing  it  on  solemn  occasions.  Muley  had  worn 


292  (Eije  tUeirb  (Drient. 

the  crown  upon  his  head  while  the  great  battle 
was  being  fought,  after  which  that  invaluable 
symbol  of  imperial  grandeur  was  not  to  be 
found.  The  crown  was  an  heirloom  traced 
back  to  the  great  Caliphat  of  Omar,  whose 
victorious  general  Saad  had  acquired  it  with 
the  enormous  treasures  of  the  Chosroes.  It 
was  worn  by  Chosroes  Nushirvan  in  the 
throne-hall  of  his  grand  palace  in  Madayn,  the 
capital  of  ancient  Persia,  and  its  incalculable 
value  had  been  further  enhanced  by  a  rare 
jewel  which  the  Emperor  Heraclius  had  sent 
Omar  as  a  present. 

Such  were  the  cumulative  incentives  to  one 
of  the  most  cruel  executions  devised  by  human 
atrocity.  And  the  tortures  also  inflicted  by 
order  of  the  new  Seedna  on  his  most  loyal  at 
tendants,  such  as  the  Mul-el-Ma,  who  satisfies 
His  Majesty's  thirst  when  in  camp  from  a 
gazelle-skin  ;  the  Mul  Attai,  who  prepares  the 
royal  tea  and  serves  it ;  and  the  most  import 
ant  Mul  M'dul,  the  keeper  and  holder  of  the  She- 
reef's  red  umbrella,  left  the  mystery  unsolved. 

The  inhabitants  of  Mequinez,  who  since 
times  immemorial  furnished  the  bulk  of  the 


(DrUnt.  293 

Emperor's  most  devoted  servitors,  tingled 
with  excitement,  and  the  entire  population 
turned  out  to  witness  the  burial  of  a  live 
Christian  monarch.  From  the  portal  of  the 
imperial  mosque  issued  a  train  of  chosen  nota 
bles,  long-bearded  Kadis  robed  in  white  flow 
ing  raiments,  wearing  white  turbans,  red  san 
dals,  the  delill  or  prayer  book  suspended  from 
the  belt  by  a  cord  of  silk  ;  talebs,  the  doctors  of 
law  ;  emins,  the  ministers  of  the  mosque  ; 
adools,  the  public  notaries;  and  a  train  Qifukies, 
the  all-moving  luminaries  at  whose  feet  the 
rising  generation  of  the  faithful  drink  in  truth 
and  wisdom.  They  were  joined  at  the  city's 
gate  by  another  cortege,  grotesque  and  dismal 
enough  to  match  the  gruesome  processions  of 
the  Inquisition.  This  was  made  up  of  happy 
juveniles,  who  struck  tom-toms,  rent  the  air 
with  the  blare  of  infernal  horns,  and  accom 
panied  the  music  with  ludicrous  grimaces  and 
comical  dances,  to  the  great  delight  of  a  sym 
pathetic  crowd,  who  swelled  the  chorus  to  the 
pitch  of  mad  vociferation.  A  hideous  negro, 
broad-shouldered,  tall  and  massive,  his  frame 
clothed  tightly  in  black,  his  eyes  blinking  dis- 


294  Stye  toeirfc  Orient 

mally  from  circles  of  red,  with  a  pointed  hat  to 
add  several  feet  to  his  unusual  height,  imper 
sonated  Azrael  the  angel  of  death.  Behind  this 
caricature  came  a  donkey  whereon  was  seated 
the  woeful  representative  of  outraged  Chris 
tian  royalty,  bare-headed,  dressed  in  a  black 
jellab,  holding  in  his  right  hand  a  human  skull, 
— a  picture  of  terror  and  anguish.  This  was 
Dom  Sebastian,  riding  to  his  sepulchre,  on 
his  right  Monkir,  to  his  left  Nakir, — the  demons 
of  livid  hue,  who  wake  the  dead  to  question 
him  about  his  faith,  and  beat  him  with  clubs 
if  unable  to  stand  the  examination.  The 
rear  of  this  group  was  occupied  by  Eblis,  gro 
tesquely  attired  in  red  and  armed  with  the 
implements  of  hellish  torture.  A  throng  of 
naked,  filthy  saints  ran  along  howling  and 
spitting  at  the  whilom  majesty  of  Portugal, 
relegating  his  soul  to  the  deepest  pit,  and 
praying  Allah  to  show  no  mercy  to  the  Chris 
tian  dog.  Having  passed  out  of  the  city's  gate, 
the  procession  advanced  along  a  tortuous  road, 
winding  among  well-fostered  gardens,  pro 
tected  by  an  outer  and  much  lower  wall, 
toward  the  spot  where  a  cell  about  six  feet 


toeirfc  (Drient.  295 


high,  but  barely  wide  enough  to  enclose  a 
human  body,  stood  open  in  the  main  wall  for 
the  death  by  suffocation  and  for  the  dreamless 
rest  of  the  fallen  king.  Too  weak  to  dismount 
unassisted,  Sebastian  was  rudely  handled  by 
Monkir  and  Nakir,  who  raised  him  from  his 
seat,  lifted  him  to  the  level  of  the  cell,  and 
pushed  him  inside,  turning  him  with  a  twist 
so  that  the  fanatic  spectators  had  a  full  view 
of  his  face.  Three  wooden  bars  held  the 
victim  against  the  dead  wall. 

All  eyes  were  now  turned  in  the  direction 
of  the  mosque,  whence  the  signal  for  the  clos 
ing  up  of  the  king's  grave  was  to  be  given  by 
the  firing  of  a  gun  and  the  hoisting  of  a  flag. 
The  ghastly  ceremony  was  so  timed  that  the 
bricking  up  of  the  living  tomb  coincided  with 
the  hour  of  prayer,  so  that  the  boom  of  cannon 
and  the  appearance  of  the  flag  streaming  to 
the  breeze,  was  answered  by  a  score  of  muez 
zins  from  the  tops  of  their  minarets,  who 
called;  "Allah  akbar,  Allah  ahbar,  —  God  is 
great,  and  Mohammed  is  his  Prophet  !"  The 
multitude  fell  prostrate  in  the  dust,  sending  the 
fatha  eastward  to  Mecca  :  "  Praise  be  to 


296  (Elje  tOeir&  (Orient. 

God,  the  Lord  of  all  creatures,  the  most  mer 
ciful,  the  King  of  the  Day  of  Judgment !  Thee 
do  we  worship,  and  of  Thee  do  we  beg  assist 
ance.  Direct  us  in  the  right  way,  in  the  way 
of  those  to  whom  Thou  hast  been  gracious, 
not  of  those  against  whom  thou  art  incensed, 
nor  of  those  who  go  astray." 

The  echoes  of  the  Sulhama  having  expired 
in  the  air,  the  faithful  rose  from  their  posture 
of  adoration,  and  the  supreme  Kadi  of  the  land 
read  this  decree:  "  Hear  me,  ye  worshippers 
of  the  true  God  !  The  Christian  there  had 
planned  the  downfall  of  our  nation  and  the  up 
rooting  of  Islam  ;  but  Allah  willed  it  otherwise, 
decreeing  that  we  deal  with  him  as  he  meant 
to  deal  with  us.  Our  late  Seedna — may  Allah 
grant  him  the  joys  of  paradise — died  in  his 
coat  of  mail,  combating  that  infidel  dog,  who 
came  as  a  foe  and  acted  as  a  traitor,  dishonor 
ing  his  flag.  Therefore  did  our  Emir-al-Mume- 
min  decree  that  he  perish  ignominiously,  like 
the  other  slaves  who  would  not  recite  the 
fatha.  May  Allah  wither  the  right  hand  of 
our  Seedna's  enemies. — There  is  no  God  but 
God,  and  Mohammed  is  his  Prophet !" — Slowly 


(Jfye  toeirb  QDrient  297 

bricks  and  mortar  closed  up  the  open  side  of 
the  upright  tomb.  One  hour  later  there  was 
no  cell  to  be  seen,  but  a  plain  wall  hiding  a 
monarch  quickly  choking  to  death,  while  the 
barbarians  returned  jubilant  to  the  city. 

Under  the  rule  of  Muley  Zidan,  a  firman, 
bearing  the  Grand  Vizier's  signature,  was  pla 
carded  in  every  mosque  of  his  domain,  prom 
ising  him  who  should  be  instrumental  in  re 
storing  the  lost  crown  to  the  ruling  dynasty 
not  alone  high  honors,  but  the  option  of  lead 
ing  home  as  wife  any  maiden  of  the  empire, 
from  the  daughter  of  the  first  Sultana  down 
to  any  damsel  within  the  confines  of  Mauri 
tania,  and  the  assurance  was  given  that  there 
would  be  no  inquiry  as  to  how  the  lucky 
finder  had  come  into  possession  of  the  impe 
rial  diadem. 

As  time  lent  distance  to  the  disastrous  cru 
sade  and  its  tragic  sequels,  a  spontaneous  crop 
of  tales  and  legends  transferred  the  former 
memorable  event  into  the  realm  of  romance. 
Down  to  this  day  the  rustic  folk  of  Lusitania 
look  forward  to  the  return  of  Dom  Sebastian, 
whom  they  believe  to  dwell  among  the  Moors 


298  ©Ije  CDdrfc  Orient. 

in  the  somnolent  state  of  Barbarossa,  while 
among  the  tribes  of  Western  Barbary  it  is 
popularly  current  that,  owing  to  unknown 
causes,  the  great  battle  is  periodically  fought 
over,  always  at  new  moon,  the  phantom  armies 
engaging  each  other  on  the  banks  of  the  El- 
mahassen,  and  the  combat  winding  up  with 
the  historic  rout  of  the  crusaders. 

Indeed  the  foolhardy  invasion  would  read 
like  the  myth  of  the  Argonauts,  had  the  out 
come  turned  out  less  crushing  to  the  adven 
turers.  For  a  youthful  king,  in  the  twenties, 
and  of  limited  resources,  to  embark  on  a  career 
of  conquest  remote  from  his  base  of  supply, 
the  coveted  prize  being  a  warlike  empire  much 
larger  than  the  kingdoms  of  Spain  and  Portu 
gal  combined,  an  empire  which  Christendom 
learned  to  fear,  is  so  daring  an  adventure  that, 
but  for  its  unquestioned  reality,  it  could  pass 
as  a  bit  of  chivalrous  fiction.  And  the  circum 
stances  under  which  the  last  encounter  took 
place,  the  death  of  the  Sultan,  the  loss  of  the 
crown,  and  the  terrible  fate  of  the  prisoners, 
tend  much  to  invest  the  event  with  a  halo  of 
the  mystic  and  the  ghostly. 


Stye  torirtr  QDrient.  299 

However,  the  legendary  evolution  of  that 
desperate  struggle  near  Al-Kesar  Kebir  may 
be  traced  back  to  the  adventures  of  a  student 
from  Timbuctu,  who  arrived  at  Fez  at  the 
beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century.  That  was 
the  time  when  the  Fazzi  had  good  cause  to 
boast  of  cherishing  one  of  the  greatest  centres 
of  learning  in  the  world.  From  the  valley  of 
the  Nile,  from  the  banks  of  the  Congo  and 
the  Niger,  from  populous  Europe,  darkest 
Africa,  and  farthest  Asia,  the  youth  of  the 
opulent  without  distinction  of  creed  and  race 
flocked  to  the  halls  of  the  Kairouin  to  cull  the 
honey  dropping  from  the  lips  of  inspiration, 
especially  the  dimly  revealed  arcana  that 
teach  how  to  read  the  signs  of  the  stars. 

The  Kairouin  was  then,  and  is  in  diminished 
lustre  now,  four  institutions  in  one, — the  high 
est  school,  the  largest  mosque,  the  greatest 
library,  and  the  most  hospitable  caravansary 
in  the  vast  regions  traversed  by  the  Atlas 
Mountains.  Within  the  precincts  of  the  Kai 
rouin  hundreds  of  poor  students  found  then 
not  only  free  shelter  and  tuition  but  also  food 
and  garments,  the  cost  being  defrayed  from 


3oo  Stye  ttJeirir  (Orient. 

the  ample  bequest  of  the  philanthropic  Fatma, 
the  original  benefactress  of  that  curious  uni 
versity.  It  embraced  a  miniature  world  of  the 
rich  and  the  poor,  the  learned  and  the  ignor 
ant,  the  faithful  and  the  infidel,  the  good  and 
the  bad  ;  was  the  home  of  every  Moslem  who 
had  none  other ;  and,  among  its  many  good 
things,  was  distinguished  for  an  atmosphere  of 
tolerance,  peace  and  cordiality.  Even  to-day 
the  president  of  the  Kairouin,  the  Mokaddun, 
whose  office  is  hereditary,  treats  all  as  equals, 
the  prince  and  the  beggar  having  the  same 
right,  and  that  is  to  take  life  easy, — very  easy. 
Instances  of  nervousness  from  overwork  have 
never  been  heard  of  in  the  Kairouin.  Once 
matriculated,  the  student  is  not  expected  to 
pass  examinations,  and  is  a  privileged  char 
acter,  his  presence  in  the  city  being  a  source 
of  revenue  to  its  inhabitants.  For  it  should  be 
remembered  that  among  those  who  come  to 
the  Kairouin  in  quest  of  wisdom  are  the  sons 
of  the  wealthiest  sheykhs,  nobles,  and  mer 
chants  from  all  the  habitable  lands  which 
skirt  the  sands  of  the  Sahara,  young  lords 
wrapped  in  soft  silks,  bestriding  Arabian 


QDrient.  301 

steeds  magnificently  caparisoned,  followed  by 
retinues  of  slaves  to  cater  to  their  physical 
wants,  and  harems  to  beguile  their  ennui. 
Nor  is,  in  the  chase  of  romantic  diversion,  the 
beautiful  Fazzi  neglected  ;  the  people  being 
inclined  to  connive  at  the  trivial  transgressions 
of  the  future  pillars  of  Moslem  scholarship. 
Thrifty  parents  know  how  and  when  to  be 
absent  when  the  young  lords  from  Insala,  Nu 
bia,  Tunis,  Tripoli,  Egypt,  Taradunt,  or  Tim- 
buctu  are  sure  to  mark  their  transit  through 
apartments  of  supposed  inviolable  privacy  by 
a  trail  of  gold-sand.  Such  are  the  traditions 
of  the  Kairouin,  realized  down  to  this  day. 

But  the  student  of  Timbuctu  with  whom 
this  tale  is  concerned  was  in  every  way  an 
exception.  He  disdained  luxury,  spurned  the 
delights  of  the  harem,  consorted  with  nobody, 
had  but  one  aged  slave  to  wait  on  him,  dwelt 
in  a  tent  on  a  rock  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
and  spent  his  days  among  the  piles  of  old 
books  and  manuscripts  treasured  on  the  shelves 
of  the  Kairouin's  subterranean  library.  In 
the  bazaars  he  was  known  for  years  as  the 
student  who  paid  for  his  purchases  in  silver  or 


QDrient. 


in  gold,  without  ever  waiting  for  the  change. 
He  was  not  handsome.  His  most  remarkable 
feature  was  a  face  strikingly  reminding  one  of 
the  owl's,  with  orange  eyeballs  which  glowed 
like  living  topaz  stones.  He  wore  an  expres 
sion  which,  once  caught,  haunted  one  like  an 
apparition.  His  white-haired  attendant  was 
dumb  and  moved  like  an  automaton  of  bronze, 
leaving  one  in  doubt  as  to  whether  he  was 
really  a  creature  of  flesh  and  blood.  All  that 
was  known  about  that  strange  student  was 
that  he  had  come  with  the  great  caravan  from 
Timbuctu,  that  his  name  was  Omeyya,  and 
that  he  devoted  his  whole  time  to  researches 
in  works  of  the  occult  sciences,  such,  for  in 
stance,  as  alchemy  and  astrology,  supplement 
ing  his  inquiries  with  practical  experiments, 
assisted  by  his  automatic  attendant.  His  was 
a  personality  whom  the  Fazzi  liked  much  less 
than  they  feared.  Omeyya  was  left  severely 
alone,  but  this  was  just  the  condition  which 
seemed  to  suit  him.  His  unique  appearance 
and  singular  individuality  had  their  origin  in 
his  exceptionally  romantic  birth,  and  in  a 
career  even  stranger  than  his  beginning.  He 


(Elje  toeirfc  Orient.  303 

grew  up  as  the  adopted  child  of  the  renowned 
sibyl  Kadijah,  whose  abode  was  a  cavern  near 
Timbuctu,  and  who  was  more  shunned  than 
sought  by  the  people  of  her  quarter.  To  the 
simple  folk  Kadijah  was  known  as  the  "owl- 
witch," — rarely  met,  and  then  usually  during 
the  dusky  hour  before  and  after  sunset,  still 
more  rarely  at  night ;  ever  in  a  hurry,  with 
her  hair-covered  arms  flapping  like  the  wings 
of  a  scared  ostrich.  She  was  in  very  truth 
like  a  hairy  owl ;  weazen-faced,  the  extremi 
ties  of  her  body  resembling  claws  while  her 
face  bore  every  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
owl,  orange  eyeballs  and  a  nose  so  pointed, 
hooked,  and  beak-like  that  it  partly  covered 
the  thin  curl  of  her  upper  lip.  Only  in  ex 
treme  cases  of  distress  did  the  people  of  Tim 
buctu  resort  to  her  for  help,  and  her  manner 
of  meeting  emergencies  inspired  them  with 
awe.  Her  most  potent  specific  was  the  like 
ness  of  a  long-necked,  heron-like  bird,  crudely 
drawn  with  charcoal  on  a  bit  of  leather,  and 
hung  on  the  breast  of  the  afflicted  patient. 
The  cure  was  assured. 
In  Kadijah's  sombre  abode  Omeyya  came 


304  ®tye  tDnrb  QDrient. 

to  his  consciousness  of  life,  nursed  with  moth 
erly  solicitude,  and  was  later  initiated  into  the 
secrets  of  her  dark  arts.  One  day,  the  boy 
having  risen  to  mature  youth,  the  owl-witch 
startled  him  by  offering  to  inform  him  as  to 
the  mystery  of  his  life. 

"  Thou  knowest  not  who  thou  art,  my  son, 
and  my  approaching  end  requires  me  to  let 
nothing  stand  between  thee  and  the  truth  con 
cerning  thy  legitimate  parents.  In  this  place 
Na'ima,  the  daughter  of  Moadh,  then  recog 
nized  the  strongest  arm  of  Timbuctu,  gave 
thee  birth.  Thy  father's  name  was  Abu 
Sofian,  the  heir  of  Abu  Thaleb,  whom  Moadh 
had  slain  in  a  family  feud.  When  of  age,  and 
strong  enough  to  avenge  his  father's  death, 
Sofian  burned  to  run  a  steel  through  Moadh's 
heart,  vengeance  being  his  only  thought  and 
prayer.  From  the  flat  roof  of  his  mother's 
home  Sofian  had  a  clear  view  of  his  foe's 
terraced  habitation,  and  thither  he  daily  sent 
his  imprecations,  determined  to  break  into  it 
at  the  first  opportunity,  and  make  an  end  of 
the  fierce  homicide.  The  outbreak  of  a  fire  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood  of  Moadh's  house 


QDrient  305 

gave  the  daring  youth  his  chance.  Armed 
with  a  deadly  weapon,  he  succeeded  in  slip 
ping  unnoticed  into  the  Saalemlih  (reception 
room)  of  the  hated  man.  Missing  his  object 
here,  the  son  of  Abu  Thaleb  made  a  dash  for 
the  Haremlik,  resolved  to  strike  down  the  head 
of  the  house  in  the  inviolable  seclusion  of  his 
wives.  His  rush  was  checked  by  the  appear 
ance  of  a  tiny,  jewelled,  alabaster  hand,  that 
swept  a  silken  curtain  aside, — and  there  stood 
revealed  above  the  frame  of  a  screen  a  Houri 
of  charms  so  enchanting  that  the  lad  was  not 
sure  that  he  was  awake.  *  Comest  thou  to 
save  me  from  the  flames  ?  They  are  out  to 
watch  the  fire,  and  my  sire  commanded  me  to 
await  his  return  ;  he  is  a  fearful  man  to  be  dis 
obeyed,'  spoke  the  girl  in  excitement;  but  her 
voice  melted  Sofian's  heart,  and  made  his 
eyes  to  swim. 

"  '  Fairy  of  the  sun,  disguise  thy  beauty  in  a 
man's  jellab  and  turban  that  I  may  save  thee, 
even  if  I  die  in  the  attempt,'  replied  Sofian 
with  great  presence  of  mind ;  and  the  girlish 
figure  disappeared,  to  return  as  that  of  a 
stately  youth. 

20 


306  ©l)£  tXJeirfc  ©rient. 

"  *  My  name  is  Na'ima,  and  if  thou  wilt  be 
the  light  of  mine  eyes  and  the  breath  of  my 
life,  I  will  be  the  dust  for  thy  feet  to  tread 
upon,'  said  the  metamorphosed  maiden,  and, 
favored  by  the  general  confusion,  they  gained 
the  street  unobserved.  Under  Sofian's  roof 
the  same  day  NaYma  became  his  wife  ;  but 
Timbuctu  was  too  small  for  Moadh's  rage, 
grief  and  shame,  and  the  young  lovers  guarded 
their  secret  so  well  that  many  weeks  passed 
by  before  the  city  was  in  a  furor  at  the  news 
of  the  elopement. 

"Moadh  summoned  his  kindred  to  assist 
him  in  avenging  the  outrage  ;  but  Sofian  was 
not  to  be  found  napping.  An  armed  force  of 
his  kith  and  kin  guarded  his  house  day  and 
night  against  an  attack  by  surprise,  while  his 
girl-wife  was  delivered  to  my  keeping  in  case 
of  defeat.  There  was  a  siege  and  an  assault, 
and,  in  the  hand  to  hand  struggle  that  ensued, 
Moadh  met  his  death  at  the  hand  of  Sofian, 
who  was  in  turn  mortally  stabbed  by  one  of 
the  avengers.  The  youthful  widow  remained 
in  my  charge,  and  here  thou  wast  born,  thy 
mother  having  had  nobody  to  return  to  or  ap- 


tUeirfc  (Drient.  307 


peal  to  for  protection.  Sorrow,  shame  and 
remorse  caused  her  to  shun  the  sight  of  man, 
so  that  she  would  never  venture  out  in  day 
time,  lest  someone  recognize  her  and  do  her 
harm  ;  for  she  was  hated  of  all  her  relatives. 

"  She  did  not  remain  long  in  my  keeping. 
In  an  evil  hour  she  left  her  safe  refuge  to  bask 
in  the  morning  sun,  only  to  fall  an  easy  prey 
to  the  rapacity  of  marauding  Bedouins  who, 
having  attacked  and  plundered  the  city, 
lighted  on  her  as  they  passed  this  way.  My 
arts  could  not  rescue  her,  Omeyya,  and  the 
daughter  of  Moadh  has  changed  hands  many 
times  since,  —  a  slave  or  a  mistress,  just  as  it 
suits  her  master's  fancy.  This  happened 
nineteen  years  ago,  when  thou  hadst  become 
my  charge,  yea,  and  my  comfort. 

"In  my  youth  I  was  loved  by  a  man  of  the 
black  arts,  and  of  him  I  inherited  the  secret  of 
Egypt's  great  mystery,  the  land  of  his  birth. 
He  knew  much,  but  not  enough  to  escape 
death,  the  inexorable  reaper,  whose  approach 
I  also  now  feel.  To-morrow  I  shall  be  no 
more,  and  this  hollow  shall  be  my  sepulchre. 
Bury  me  as  a  son  would  his  mother.  —  Under 


308  &l)e  tOeirb  ODrient. 

that  stone  thou  wilt  find  gold  to  sustain  thee 
for  the  length  of  thy  days.  Yet  shalt  thou 
depart  hence  to  seek  a  brighter  life,  greater 
wealth,  higher  station,  and  the  happiness  of 
love, — yea,  and  thy  mother, — in  the  famous 
city  on  the  River  of  Pearls,  provided  thou  wilt 
act  as  thou  art  bidden.  This  unlighted  hole, 
Omeyya,  hides  Egypt's  great  mystery,  which 
is  hereafter  to  be  in  thy  trust. — Take  this 
rod  from  my  hand  and  describe  in  mid-air  the 
sign  of  the  crescent  from  right  to  left  toward 
the  eastern  wall,"  commanded  the  witch. 

Omeyya  did  as  he  was  bidden.  In  answer  the 
silvery  crescent  loomed  up  on  the  bleak  rock, 
with  its  horns  gradually  lengthening  downward 
until  it  completed  the  shape  of  an  oval  door 
opening  to  an  arched  space,  brilliant  with 
dazzling  light.  In  the  heart  of  the  vault  thus 
revealed  there  stood,  perched  on  a  block  of 
onyx,  a  large  heron,  white  as  snow  from  its 
crop  down,  the  rest  of  the  plumage  sky-blue 
traversed  by  lines  of  hieroglyphics  in  relief 
set  in  jewels  of  every  hue  with  a  predomi 
nance  of  the  ruby  and  the  amethyst.  The 
scintillant  hieroglyphics  were  irregularly  scat- 


(fDrient  309 


tered  over  the  body  of  the  mystic  bird,  thicker 
along  the  wings  and  thickest  around  the 
breast  and  the  gracefully  elongated  neck  ;  the 
eyes  in  the  beautiful  head  were  of  topaz,  and 
the  long  bill  of  burnished  gold,  pointed  with 
black  diamonds.  Of  a  deep  lapis-lazuli  color 
was  the  heron's  tail,  spreading  to  the  dimen 
sions  of  the  peacock's  and  furnishing  a  field 
for  star-like  configurations  set  in  sparkling 
pearls,  emeralds,  sapphires,  beryls,  chryso 
lites,  carbuncles,  sards,  and  a  variety  of  the 
jasper  and  the  licure,  while  the  black  of  his 
legs  was  likewise  relieved  by  kabbalistic  lines 
in  rare  gems. 

"  By  the  genii  of  Amenti,  the  masters  who 
fashioned  thee  in  the  beginning  to  be  the 
symbol  and  oracle  of  Osiris,  O,  Phoenix  !  I 
adjure  thee  to  accept  this  youth  in  my  stead 
as  thy  favorite,  and  to  answer  his  call  as  soon 
as  he  shall  decipher  the  emblems  that  move 
the  spirits  of  thy  mystery,"  screamed  the 
sibyl,  vociferously. 

Omeyya's  eyes  dilated  in  amazement.  The 
bird's  inanimate  form  gave  signs  of  life.  Ruf 
fling  his  great  plumes,  he  displayed  a  blaze  of 


310  ©I)*      eirft  ©rient. 

variegated  gems,  flashing  like  so  many  bril 
liant  stars.  From  his  feather  train  issued  a 
haze  of  golden  orange,  changed  into  a  flame 
of  carmine,  which  consumed  the  bird  and  left 
the  place  to  its  previous  dinginess. 

"  Mark  me  well,  for  death  is  upon  me  ! — The 
rod  in  thy  hand  holds  the  key  to  the  mystery 
thou  art  to  unriddle  in  Fatma's  great  school, 
during  a  period  of  strict  abstinence  from  car 
nal  pleasures.  For  thirty-seven  months  thou 
shalt  drink  the  dew  of  the  morning,  shalt 
bathe  at  new  moon  in  the  River  of  Pearls, 
sleep  within  canvas-walls,  so  that  thy  nature 
be  untainted  and  thou  worthy  of  the  power 
the  revealed  arcana  insure  for  thee,"  ex 
claimed  the  sibyl,  never  to  speak  again. 
With  the  last  word  her  shrivelled  frame  fell 
lifeless  to  the  ground. 

Omeyya  suspected  that  the  rod  contained 
something  to  be  studied.  On  examining  it  in 
full  light  he  found  the  upper  end,  looking  like 
a  carved  handle,  to  be  a  closing  stopple  re 
movable  by  a  turn.  From  the  hollow  of  the 
rod  he  pulled  forth  a  rolled  up  papyrus.  The 
unrolling  of  the  document  proved  it  to  be  much 


tDeirb  ©rient.  311 


larger  than  it  at  first  appeared,  and  Omeyya 
looked  with  concentrated  attention  at  the  life 
like  picture  of  the  phoenix  it  represented,  the 
shining  hieroglyphics  being  startlingly  repro 
duced.  Having  reverently  buried  his  foster- 
mother  and  possessed  himself  of  the  hoard, 
Omeyya  abandoned  the  gloomy  abode  of  his 
boyhood,  earnestly  resolved  to  comply  most 
scrupulously  with  the  directions  of  the  sibyl. 

When  we  meet  Omeyya  at  the  Kairouin  of 
Fez  he  is  at  the  close  of  his  probationary 
period,  and  we  need  not  be  surprised  to  see 
him  one  new  moon's  eve  on  the  bank  of  Elma- 
hassen,  rod  in  hand,  ready  to  test  the  occult 
science  acquired  during  years  of  assiduous  ap 
plication. 

It  is  a  cloudy  night,  and  Omeyya  strains 
his  eyes  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  tiny  cres 
cent.  "  Spirit  of  Kadijah,  assist  me,"  prayed 
Omeyya,  and  his  rod  described  an  imaginary 
crescent  in  face  of  the  real  one,  now  gleam 
ing  through  a  fleecy  cloud.  Like  the  flash  of 
a  search-light,  there  broke  forth  a  radiance  in 
the  crown  of  a  cedar-tree,  focussing  upon  a 
nest  upon  which  sat  the  shining  phoenix. 


312  ®lje  tOeirfc  QDrient. 

"  Bird  of  Osiris, — worship  of  Heliopolis  !  if  I 
am  as  worthy  of  thy  masters'  favor  as  I 
have  been  successful  in  fathoming  the  mystic 
lore  which  commands  thy  presence,  then  let 
me  see  the  encounter  of  those  armies  which 
years  and  years  ago  fought  their  last  battle 
in  this  valley,  so  that  I  may  learn  what  has 
become  of  Abd-al-Melek's  crown/'  spoke  the 
student  of  Timbuctu,  circumscribing  the  area 
by  a  sweep  of  his  rod. 

A  prolonged  scream  was  the  bird's  response, 
and  its  thousandfold  echo  a  rumbling  and 
stamping,  a  tramping  and  clattering,  like  that 
of  heavy  cavalry  and  artillery,  followed  by 
muffled  hurrahs,  and  the  neighing  of  horses. 
In  the  hazy  twilight  of  the  new-born  moon 
Omeyya  surveyed  from  a  convenient  eleva 
tion  the  inrushing  of  column  after  column,  on 
horse,  on  foot,  accompanied  by  trains  of  am 
munition.  It  was  a  foreign  army  in  the  act  of 
occupying  strategic  points.  Wild  cheers  rent 
the  air  at  the  sight  of  a  royal  train  that 
emerged  from  the  distance,  a  youthful  king  at 
the  head  of  a  compact  force  of  mounted  cava 
liers  armed  to  the  teeth.  No  sooner  had  the 


ftfoe  tOeirfc  CJDrient.  313 

kingly  commander  surveyed  the  ground  than 
he  ordered  a  bridge  of  boats  to  be  thrown 
across  the  river.  The  bulk  of  the  army 
formed  into  two  divisions,  one  fortifying  the 
position  occupied  while  the  other  hurried 
across  the  water  to  do  likewise  on  the  other 
side.  It  was  a  scene  of  feverish  activity. 

During  the  precipitous  preparations  in  this 
part  of  the  valley,  a  Moslem  host  burst  forth 
from  the  shades  of  the  groves,  gardens  and 
thickets  up  and  down  the  stream,  bore  up 
with  the  speed  of  the  wind,  deployed  into 
frowning  lines  of  battle — having  caused  a 
force  of  horsemen  to  ford  the  stream — and 
faced  the  foe  on  both  sides  of  the  water. 
Surrounded  by  a  formidable  body-guard,  ap 
peared  the  Commander  of  the  true  faithful, 
whose  pavilion  was  pitched  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  on  which  Omeyya  stood,  in  the  midst  of 
the  minor  pavilions  of  His  Majesty's  ministers. 
The  soul  of  Moslem  inspiration  was  the 
Shereef  Abd-al-Melek,  mounted  on  a  white 
horse,  his  crown  showing  him  to  be  the  im 
perial  centre  of  force.  At  a  motion  of  his 
hand  the  Court's  Emin  gave  the  signal  for 


314  ®1)*  toeirfc  GDrient. 


battle  by  the  cry  :  '  '  La  illaha  il  Allah  !  '  '  But 
before  the  echoes  answered  the  call,  a  dash 
ing  body  of  Portuguese  cavalry  broke  into  the 
advance  lines  of  the  Moors,  and  the  fierce  on 
slaught  was  backed  up  by  a  discharge  of 
artillery,  which  mowed  down  great  numbers 
of  the  true  believers. 

"Hamdillah!  —  Destroy  the  enemy  of  the 
faithful  !"  thundered  the  Sultan,  and  the  rush 
of  his  host  was  like  the  roar  of  the  forest 
swept  by  the  storm.  Outnumbered  three  to 
one,  Dom  Sebastian's  lines  were  broken  into 
upon  every  side.  Yet  the  brave  Christians  not 
only  held  their  ground,  but  threw  their  entire 
phalanx  of  foot  soldiery  against  the  enemy's 
left  wing  with  such  an  impetus  as  drove  it 
back  toward  the  royal  pavilion,  spreading  con 
sternation  and  confusion.  Abd-al-Melek,  who 
had  watched  the  action  with  intense  concern, 
on  seeing  his  forces  hurled  backward  raved 
like  a  madman,  smote  with  his  scimitar  who 
ever  came  within  its  reach,  cursed  his  men, 
and  wound  up  by  tearing  the  crown  from  his 
head  and  flinging  it  into  the  tide  of  the  river. 
For  a  moment  the  issue  was  doubtful,  but  the 


QDrient.  315 

Christians  fell  as  grass  struck  by  the  sycthe. 
Presently  a  white  flag  was  raised  in  Sebas 
tian's  quarter,  which  induced  the  Moors  to 
slacken  their  fury,  when  the  desperate  king 
dashed  against  their  ranks  with  as  many  of 
his  knights  as  were  yet  alive.  The  enraged 
Moslems  made  short  work  of  the  king's  devoted 
band,  slaughtered  as  traitors,  and  the  victory 
was  proclaimed  by  the  Emin  from  a  pile  built 
of  Christian  heads.  From  this  unique  minaret 
the  Sulhama  stirred  the  echoes  of  the  valley  : 
"Allah  akbar!  Allah  akbar!"  Prostrate  on 
their  faces  the  host  offered  up  prayer ;  all  ex 
cept  the  Shereef,  whose  head  sank  until  the 
chin  touched  his  breast,  and  when  assistance 
came  it  was  too  late.  Abd-al-Melek  was 
dead ;  and  dead  night  ruled,  the  phantom 
hosts  dissolving  as  they  had  come.  Omeyya's 
heart  throbbed  in  hope  and  suspense.  What 
will  day  reveal  to  him  in  the  river's  tide  ? 

Early  dawn  found  the  student  on  the  spot 
he  had  held  during  the  eventful  night.  "  'Bis- 
millahl  Arrahmani!  Arrahimi!"  exclaimed 
Omeyya,  blessing  the  "all-merciful  God" 
for  his  wonderful  success.  For  in  the  slime  of 


316  $l)e  toeirb  (Orient 


the  bed,  about  four  feet  under  the  surface  of 
the  eddying  current,  his  eye  distinctly  dis 
cerned  the  precious  object.  In  a  moment 
Omeyya  plunged  into  the  water  and  emerged 
therefrom  with  the  tiara  of  Abd-al-Melek. 
The  achievement  was  dazzling  enough  to  turn 
a  young  head,  but  Omeyya  had  passed 
through  a  probation  which  left  him  in  full 
control  of  his  passions. 

Although  successful  beyond  his  most  san 
guine  expectations,  Omeyya  returned  to  Fez 
in  a  mood  of  profound  sadness,  having  nobody 
on  earth  to  share  with  him  the  golden  antici 
pations  inseparable  from  the  treasure  in  his 
trust,  and  the  incalculable  possibilities  latent 
in  the  potency  of  his  magic  rod.  Though 
sobered  by  the  earnest  researches  of  years, 
Omeyya's  thoughts  involuntarily  reverted  to 
the  prize  to  which  his  find  entitled  him.  He 
had  a  claim  on  the  Seedna's  own  daughter, 
but  it  behooved  him  to  ascertain  whether  the 
first  maiden  of  the  empire  was  a  covetable  ac 
quisition  ;  secondly,  whether,  considering  the 
Shereef's  chronic  inclination  to  silence  annoy 
ing  pretenders  by  putting  them  out  of  the 


tOdrfc  (Orient.  317 

way,  it  were  prudent  to  proceed  without  ade 
quate  safeguards. 

Full  of  golden  reveries,  the  youthful  wizard 
drifted  the  following  day  into  the  enclosed 
bazaar  where  the  Fazzi,  after  the  yearly  arrival 
of  the  Akabah,  or  the  great  caravan  from  Tim- 
buctu,  gathered  to  take  a  look  at  the  ex 
hibited  wares  of  fair  human  flesh.  It  was  the 
slave-dealer's  paradise.  The  square  market 
place  had  but  one  gate  and  embraced  many 
concerns  within  its  confines,  but  the  chief 
business  was  the  disposition  of  slaves  by  auc 
tion  or  by  private  bargain.  Under  a  roof  of 
rough  boards  supported  by  rude  posts,  men, 
women  and  children  were  being  stripped  of 
their  clothing  and  examined  like  cattle,— 
teeth,  eyes,  mouth,  nostrils,  chest,  arms  and 
legs.  The  agility  of  the  slaves  was  tested  by 
a  free  application  of  the  whip,  making  them 
jump  high,  and  their  strength  by  the  lifting  of 
heavy  weights.  Handsome  females  were 
treated  with  more  consideration.  Bids  were 
made,  accepted,  or  declined.  The  most  of  the 
human  chattels  were  black,  and  dressed  to  set 
off  their  forms  to  advantage. 


318  ®lje  iJDeirfc  (Orient. 

Among  the  few  whites  there  was  a  woman 
for  whom  the  owner  asked  a  fabulous  price, 
and  scornfully  rejected  a  bid  of  twenty-five 
doubloons,  although  that  was  the  highest 
amount  that  had  ever  been  offered  for  a  slave 
above  thirty  years  of  age.  She  was  not  on  open 
exhibition  like  the  others  who  shared  her  fate, 
but  screened  by  a  canvas  stretched  before 
her  in  a  corner,  behind  which  the  prospective 
purchaser  was  allowed  to  make  his  examina 
tion.  The  one  who  had  last  availed  himself 
of  this  privilege  and  had  just  come  out  from 
behind  the  partition,  was  a  negroid  Moslem, 
whose  green  caftan  of  silk  bespoke  his  descent 
from  the  Prophet,  while  the  soft  rich  folds  of 
his  satin  shawl  gracefully  wound  around  his 
upper  frame,  like  his  capacious  girth,  sug 
gested  the  enjoyment  of  an  ample  revenue, 
with  little  work  and  less  worry.  He  was 
likewise  a  student  at  the  Kairouin,  but  his 
researches  were  entirely  confined  to  the  mys 
tery  centred  in  woman,  and  the  bags  of  gold- 
sand  he  had  brought  along  from  Tafilet  en 
abled  him  to  pursue  his  ardent  work  with 
much  assiduity. 


QDrient  319 


"  What  is  the  age  of  thy  gazelle  ?"  inquired 
the  lineal  descendant  of  Mohammed. 

"  It  is  a  gazelle  from  Jannet  al  Ferdaws, 
who  are  ever  young  and  sweet,  like  the  blos 
soms  of  the  Tuba-tree,"  replied  the  slave- 
dealer  volubly. 

"  If  she  were  a  virgin  thy  comparison  would 
pass,  but  she  has  been  somebody's  love,  and 
must  have  seen  at  least  thirty  Ramazans," 
observed  the  holy  connoisseur  of  the  fair  sex. 

"  She  will  see  thirty  more  years  and  yet  be 
more  beautiful  than  one  of  twenty.  She  is 
worth  her  weight  in  gold,"  asserted  the  slave- 
dealer. 

"Will  a  pound  of  gold-sand  buy  her?" 
asked  the  scion  of  the  Prophet. 

"One  hundred  doubloons  will  take  Naima," 
cried  the  master  of  the  slave. 

"Na'ima!"  echoed  a  voice  nearby.  "Naima 
—  is  that  thy  slave's  name  ?"  asked  Omeyya 
eagerly,  who  had  been  a  witness  of  the  pro 
gressing  transaction. 

"That  is  her  name,  Cid,  as  sweet  as  her 
self,"  returned  the  cunning  dealer. 

"I  will  pay  the  price  if  thou  canst  satisfy 


320  &t)e      eirfc  (Orient. 

me  as  to  her  place  of  birth,  her  pedigree,  and 
her  antecedents/'  promised  Omeyya  without 
hesitation. 

"  What  thou  askest  of  me  I  cannot  do.  We 
buy  and  exchange  slaves  as  we  trade  in  other 
things,  never  bothering  our  heads  as  to  whence 
they  come,  or  who  they  are.  What  matters 
it  ?  I  traded  for  Na'ima  in  Tenduf ;  she  might 
have  come  thither  from  Timbuctu  by  Tandeng, 
an  oasis  in  the  desert,  rich  in  salt,  and  fer 
tilized  by  wholesome  springs,"  said  the  mer 
chant  hypothetically. 

"She  is  mine;  let  the  taleb  write  out  the 
legal  transfer,"  said  Omeyya,  without  so 
much  as  a  look  at  the  object  of  his  purchase. 
A  murmur  of  surprise  passed  around  among 
the  onlookers.  The  saint  of  the  green  caftan 
departed  in  disgust.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
document  was  produced  and  signed,  the  price 
paid,  and  Omeyya,  trembling  all  over,  led  off 
the  slave,  whom  he  felt  must  be  his  mother. 
Brought  to  his  tent,  he  caused  her  to  remove 
her  haih  or  face  cover,  made  her  sit  on  a  pil 
low,  threw  himself  on  his  knees  before  her, 
looked  into  her  beautiful  countenance,  then 


iDeirfc  (Orient.  321 


kissed  her  hands  and  spoke:    "Let  thy  first 
answer  to  my  first  question  be  plain  and  brief. 

—  If  thy  father's  name  was  Moadh  of  Timbuctu  ; 
if  thy  husband  was  Sofian  the  son  of  Abu  Tha- 
leb  of  the  same  city  ;  if  thy  friend  was  the 
owl-witch   Kadijah  ;   if  a  child  was  born  to 
thee  in  her  cave  and  his  name  was  Omeyya, 

—  then  speak  the  word  that  I    may  praise 
Allah's  great  mercy." 

"What  spirit  imparted  to  thee  the  tale  of 
my  woe,  master?"  cried  the  woman,  in  a 
thrilling  tone;  "thou  must  be  a  descendant 
of  the  all-knowing  Prophet!" 

"  No  !  Is  it  not  enough  that  I  am  thy 
child  ?"  answered  Omeyya,  with  an  outburst 
of  tears  ;  and  there  was  a  pathetic  moment 
beyond  the  reach  of  words. 

It  is  again  new-moon.  Nai'ma  is  mistress 
of  an  elegant  home,  is  waited  on  by  slaves, 
moves  among  hangings  of  silk,  on  the  softest 
of  Moorish  rugs  ;  her  eyelids  are  painted  with 
kohl,  her  ringer  nails  with  henna  ;  her  harem 
opens  on  a  courtyard  pervaded  by  the  odorif 
erous  scent  of  the  mandragora  and  the  blos 
som  of  the  orange,  cooled  by  the  splash  and 


21 


322  £l)e  tUcird  (Orient. 

play  of  fountains,  and  animated  by  storks, 
who  are  sacred  birds  in  Morocco  as  else 
where.  Mother  and  son  have  by  this  time  un 
bosomed  themselves  to  each  other,  and  both 
are  confident  that  the  culmination  of  things 
will  be  equal  to  their  expectations. 

Once  more  Omeyya  is  alone  in  the  dead  of 
voiceless  night,  under  cloud-obscured  stars. 
He  has  been  waiting  since  before  the  sun  had 
withdrawn  his  last  beam  from  the  picturesque 
panorama  afforded  by  the  sight  of  the  Western 
Mecca  and  its  wreath  of  groves  and  gardens, 
spreading  on  the  slopes  of  the  valley  through 
which  flows  the  Wad-el-Jubar.  Omeyya 
stood  on  the  height  crowned  by  Mulai  Ismael's 
bastion,  whence  the  view  of  Fez  is  as  perfect 
as  that  of  the  palace  grounds.  As  night 
closed  over  the  city  and  the  green  tops  of 
Mulai  Edris — the  famous  mosque,  striking  be 
cause  of  its  all-overtopping  golden  globe, — 
faded  in  deepening  twilight,  Omeyya  heard  the 
nightingale  at  her  best,  and  his  soul  was  well 
attuned  for  the  amorous  cadence.  Now  the 
crescent  soared  in  relief  on  heaven's  mystic 
tapestry,  but  a  later  hour  was  to  evolve  the 


"There  sprung,  like  Iris  from  the  clouds 


a  smiling  Hebe." 
Page  323. 


Stye  tXJeirfr  (JDrient.  323 

vision  of  Egypt's  mystery.  At  the  right  mo 
ment  the  potency  of  Omeyya's  rod  raised  up 
the  bird.  Over  court  and  palace  broke  a 
white  radiance,  and  in  its  core  hung  the  heron 
on  wing  in  mid-heaven. 

"  Bird  of  Osiris,  worship  of  Heliopolis  !  by 
the  invisible  masters  who  fashioned  thee  I 
demand  to  let  me  behold  her  whom  destiny 
has  decreed  to  be  my  consort." 

Omeyya  was  frightened  on  seeing  the 
phoenix  fade,  as  if  offended  by  his  command  ; 
but  in  its  stead  there  sprung,  like  Iris  from 
the  clouds,  a  smiling  Hebe ;  back  of  her  rose 
in  imperial  majesty  Muley  Zidan  and  his  fore 
most  Sultana. — "  Hamdillah!"  cried  Omeyya, 
falling  on  his  face  to  praise  Allah  "the  most 
merciful,  the  King  of  the  Day  of  Judgment !" 
When  he  rose  there  were  the  stars  above  him 
and  the  silvery  crescent,  while  the  valley  of 
the  River  of  Pearls  rang  with  the  trill  of  a 
thousand  nightingales. 

The  next  morning  the  streets  of  Fez  were 
filled  with  the  cries  of  the  Sultan's  heralds, 
calling  on  him,  who  was  entitled  to  the  great 
prize,  to  come  forth  and  obtain  it. — "Bring  the 


324  ®i)*  tPdrb 


crown  and  obtain  thy  reward  !"  was  the  cry 
heard  in  street  and  bazaar,  no  one  knowing 
what  it  meant. 

But  Omeyya  suspected  that  something  had 
happened  in  the  palace,  and  he  felt  that  his 
triumph  was  assured.  What  he  learned  later 
was  this.  That  same  night  the  Shereef,  the 
Shereefa,  and  their  daughter  Rehamina,  had  a 
vision  which  they  imparted  to  each  other  the 
following  morning.  They  had  all  seen  the 
same  thing,  and  the  coincidence  could  only  be 
explained  in  one  way.  Abd-al-Melek's  crown 
had  been  found.  The  Sultan's  criers  were 
sent  out  to  assure  the  happy  finder  of  his 
prize.  Thus  doubly  reassured,  Omeyya  pre 
sented  himself  before  the  Emil-al-Mumemin 
who,  it  need  hardly  be  told,  was  greatly  im 
pressed  by  the  student's  tale. 

"What  thou  hast  seen,  son,  is  not  the 
phoenix  of  Osiris,  but  the  image  of  Allah's 
dazzling  cock,  who  each  morning  chants  to 
delight  the  ear  of  the  true  God,  when  all  the 
fowls  of  his  kind  join  in  his  melodious  praise. 
By  no  less  a  miracle  than  the  help  of  the  bird, 
whom  our  Prophet  saw  in  the  skies,  could  the 


todrb  ODricnt.  325 


crown   of   Abd-al-Melek    be    restored,"    con 
cluded  the  Seedna,  piously. 

In  the  presence  of  the  great  Divan,  Omeyya 
produced  the  crown  ;  and  here  in  the  throne- 
hall  his  betrothal  to  Rehamina  was  solemnly 
confirmed.  In  due  time  there  was  a  royal 
wedding,  after  which  Muley  Zidan  found 
Omeyya  not  only  to  be  worthy  of  his  lovely 
daughter,  but  of  his  highest  esteem  and  fullest 
confidence  as  the  wisest  counselor  in  his 
Divan. 


A  NIGHT  BY  THE  DEAD  SEA. 


A  NIGHT  BY  THE  DEAD  SEA. 


OTHMAN  IBN  SAAD  was  for  many 
years  a  name  for  which  that  of 
Eblis  was  substituted  because  of  his 
dare-devil  exploits  in  highway  robbery,  which 
prompted  the  Ottoman  Government  to  set  a 
price  on  his  head.  The  chief  of  Kerak  was 
especially  interested  in  Othman's  capture, 
offering  to  double  the  reward,  but  no  claimant 
appeared  on  the  scene  ;  while  every  week 
added  new  outrages  to  the  long  list  of  the 
brigand's  incredible  perpetrations.  Again 
and  again  had  the  armed  men  been  on  the 
track  of  the  dreaded  Eblis  only  to  discover 
too  late,  after  a  hot  but  fruitless  chase,  that 
the  object  of  their  hunt  had  posed  the 
while  as  their  informer,  guide,  or  delightful 
boon-companion,  filling  their  ears  with  tales 

(329) 


330  Stye  tDeirb  ODrient 

of  the  blood-curdling  atrocities  of  the  rob 
ber. 

Othman  had  the  means  of  personating 
Greek,  Turk,  Jew,  Armenian, — any  officer, 
dervish,  saint,  beggar,  foreign  gentleman — yes, 
or  woman  ;  and  even  resorted  to  the  guise  of 
the  devil,  wherefore  his  sobriquet  of  Eblis. 
It  was  the  study  of  his  life,  and  he  plied  his 
trade  with  surprising  dexterity  and  hardihood. 
Tall,  wiry,  of  tawny  complexion,  flashing  eye, 
an  iron  grip,  black  hair,  short  beard,  easy 
manner,  and  ostentatiously  scrupulous  in  mat 
ters  appertaining  to  the  mosque,  it  never  oc 
curred  to  those  who  had  met  him  in  friendly 
intercourse,  that  his  hands  reeked  with  the 
blood  of  murder  committed  with  the  least  pos 
sible  compunction. 

What  puzzled  the  authorities  was  the  con 
tradictory  descriptions  given  of  the  bandit  by 
such  as  had  the  good  fortune,  having  met  with 
him,  to  escape  his  murderous  rapacity  ;  and 
as  well  the  unaccountable  coincidence  of  his 
having  shed  blood  at  two  distant  spots  at  the 
same  hour.  This  was  a  point  in  favor  of  the 
popular  conclusion  that  the  terrible  highway- 


tDeirb  ©rient.  331 


man  was  an  incarnation  of  the  devil,  who  held 
court  in  some  dismal  recess  on  the  shores  of 
the  Dead  Sea,  a  fit  abode  for  the  dark  designs 
of  Satan.  The  inference  was  further  strength 
ened  by  the  fact  that  Othman's  crimes  were 
invariably  associated  with  the  gloomiest  nights 
in  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  that  he  dealt  with 
Moslem  and  infidel  alike  without  a  shade  of 
partiality,  and  treated  his  victims  with  fiendish 
malice. 

The  pseudo  Eblis,  however,  in  reality  rejoiced 
in  the  comforts  of  a  snug  home  in  the  Plain  of 
Engedi,  where  a  small  hamlet  finds  sustenance 
in  the  scanty  vegetation  of  the  cheerless  oasis, 
hemmed  in  by  the  bleakest  of  wildernesses 
made  up  of  mountains  which  look  as  though 
they  have  passed  through  fire,  —  of  pestiferous 
marshes,  rugged  cliffs,  deep  gorges,  a  rocky 
beach,  or  little  vales  covered  with  saline  in 
crustations,  all  forming  the  frame  to  the  most 
depressed  and  deadest  of  seas  on  the  face  of 
the  earth.  The  region  is  sufficiently  bleak, 
miasmatic  and  impregnated  with  sulphur  to 
have  suggested  to  Milton  his  infernal  "sights 
of  woe,  regions  of  sorrow,  doleful  shades, 


332  ®fye  toeirft  QDrient. 

where  peace  and  rest  can  never  dwell,  hope 
never  comes  that  comes  to  all." 

Othman's  plain  habitation  was  kept  neat 
by  a  devoted  wife,  and  enlivened  by  an  affec 
tionate  son,  Yezed,  a  boy  in  the  early  twen 
ties,  who  fed  on  the  Koran's  revelations  im 
parted  to  him,  with  traditional  embellishments, 
by  the  mue^in  of  the  small  mosque,  the  only 
public  building  of  the  settlement.  With  an 
eye  to  business,  Othman  had  established  his 
headquarters  here,  but  extended  his  opera 
tions  as  far  as  his  fleet  horse  could  carry  him 
during  the  darker  hours,  on  pathways  known 
to  him  alone. 

A  cultivated  patch  of  grain  and  vegetables, 
a  cow,  a  few  sheep  and  a  couple  of  asses, 
were  supposed  to  supply  the  necessaries  of 
Othman's  household.  There  was  little  about 
the  robber's  life  to  stir  the  envy  of  his  neigh 
bors,  excep  this  fiery  steed  El  Barak,  so  named 
in  allusion  to  the  lightning  speed  of  the  Pro 
phet's  horse  that  carried  him  from  heaven  to 
heaven,  up  to  the  throne  of  Allah.  El  Barak 
was  a  lamb  in  the  hands  of  his  master  or 
Yezed,  but  a  terror  to  strangers  whose  ap- 


QLtye  toeirfc  (Orient.  333 

preaches  the  brute  resented  with  a  ferocious 
fury.  That  the  horse  had  been  taught  to  dash 
against  people  and  trample  them  down  nobody 
suspected. 

Othman  was  the  most  pleasant  of  neighbors, 
bothered  himself  about  nobody's  business, 
and  was  counted  among  the  most  harmless 
of  the  villagers,  deriving  a  small  revenue  from 
his  ability  to  act  as  guide  to  such  as  were 
curious  to  explore  the  mysteries  of  the  desola 
tion  around  the  Dead  Sea.  This  was  the 
plausible  reason  for  the  keeping  of  El  Barak. 

But  the  time  had  arrived  when  the  secret 
could  no  longer  be  withheld  from  Yezed.  The 
son  had  to  be  familiarized  with  his  father's 
business,  and  the  mettle  of  the  lad  had  to 
undergo  a  test.  Was  he  worthy  of  his  sire  ? 
Yezed  knew  whole  surahs  of  the  Koran  by 
heart,  and  delighted  his  mother's  ear  with 
their  recitation.  The  youth  was  a  dreamer, 
the  muezzin  having  stocked  his  memory  with 
the  most  fabulous  of  Islam's  traditions.  Oth 
man  did  not  like  his  son's  visionary  spirit,  but 
there  was  hope  in  Yezed's  great  fondness  for 
horses  and  his  expressed  wish  to  own  one  of 


334  ®*)*      drfc  (Drient. 

El  Barak's  temper.  His  wish  was  gratified.  A 
powerful  courser  was  Yezed's  pleasant  sur 
prise  on  his  twenty-first  birthday,  and  the 
Arabs  of  Engedi  began  to  suspect  that  Oth- 
man  was  a  much  richer  man  than  he  appeared. 
In  a  few  weeks  Yezed  bestrode  his  horse  like  the 
experienced  horseman  he  in  fact  already  was, 
and  was  asked  by  his  father  to  accompany 
him  to  a  place  he  intended  to  visit  the  coming 
evening.  A  dervish  had  passed  through  the 
village  during  the  day  and  had  casually  told 
the  people  that  a  party  of  foreigners  would 
pass  some  miles  south  of  Engedi,  their  object 
being  to  see  Jebel  Usdum,  a  towering  ridge  of 
rock-salt  extending  many  miles,  its  crystalline 
crest  sparkling  like  diamonds  in  the  beam  of 
tropical  sunshine,  and  looking  fantastically 
weird  in  the  face  of  the  moon.  Othman  was 
alert  to  the  opportunity,  and  the  departing  sun 
threw  its  mellow  ray  on  two  riders,  who  had 
just  issued  from  Engedi.  They  soon  left  the 
fertile  stretch  behind  them  and  advanced  be 
tween  the  lifeless  tide  of  the  melancholy  sea 
on  one  side  and  the  barren,  dreary  range  of 
cliffs  on  the  other. 


(Orient.  335 

The  ebbing  daylight  gave  the  sterile  outlook 
an  air  of  inexpressible  gloom,  a  leaden  haze 
having  gathered  on  the  sea  which  looked 
more  like  a  vast  basin  of  stagnant  oil  than 
water  with  not  a  stir  of  life  to  break  the 
deadly  silence  except  the  hoof-beat  of  the 
horses.  Othman,  who  thus  far  had  not  uttered 
a  word,  suddenly  stopped  his  horse,  threw  a 
side  glance  at  Yezed  who  likewise  drew  in 
his  reins,  so  that  the  horsemen  faced  each 
other.  Yezed's  imagination  had  been  en 
kindled  by  the  sight  of  the  sinking  orb ;  he 
thought  of  the  unfading  glories  of  Jannat  al 
Nairn,  the  Prophet's  Garden  of  Delight. 

"Yezed,  I  am  thinking  that  thou  hast  passed 
thy  twenty-first  year  and  art  as  helpless  as  a 
child  ;  thou  hast  no  ambition,  not  a  wish  to 
fire  thee  to  a  manly  deed.  If  I  died  this  com 
ing  night  what  would  become  of  thee  and  thy 
mother?"  began  Othman,  eying  the  unso 
phisticated  youth  sharply. 

"Yezed  wished  to  own  a  horse,  his  father 
made  him  happy, — what  else  shall  Yezed 
wish  ?  If  one  is  happy  he  has  no  wish.  Thou 
die  to-night  ?  Why  should  it  come  to  pass  ? 


336  ®lje  todrb  (Drient. 

But  even  while  thou  art  alive  Yezed  is  will 
ing  to  work  for  his  mother  and  his  father,  who 
should  live  for  pleasure  and  for  prayer,"  an 
swered  the  son  contentedly. 

"  Ah,  Yezed  knows  too  little  of  this  world, 
has  no  desire  to  be  rich  and  strong,  that  is 
why  he  has  no  other  wish.  What  joy  is  it  to 
spend  one's  days  in  such  a  waste  as  this  ? " 
cried  Othman,  disappointed  at  his  son's  in 
difference  to  things  for  which  he  had  no  use. 
"Does  not  this  region  look  like  a  place  good 
for  the  dead  ?" 

"Yes,  good  to  remind  the  wicked  of  their 
doom  and  the  just  of  their  reward.  What  of 
that  ?  Are  we  not  happy  even  in  this  un 
friendly  valley  ?  Not  where  we  live  but  how 
— is  not  this  the  sum  of  Islam  ?  The  joys  of 
mortal  flesh  what  are  they  when  put  in  con 
trast  with  felicities  not  to  be  expressed  in 
words  ?  "  asked  Yezed. 

"  If  Allah  meant  us  not  to  enjoy  this  world, 
why  are  there  so  many  good  things  which  the 
weak  and  the  poor  cannot  have  ?  "  was  Oth- 
man's  question. 

"  Let  Allah  in  his  wisdom  answer  that ;  we 


(Elje  tDeirfc  ©rient.  337 

must  be  content  and  resigned  wherever  we 
be,  whatever  our  lot,  lest  we  forfeit  eternal 
bliss/'  replied  Yezed  piously. 

"  Thou  art  soaring  above  the  gate  of  Jannat 
al  Nairn,"  said  Othman  ironically.  "  Who  has 
been  there  to  assure  us  that  it  is  more  than  a 
fable  ? " 

"  God  has  revealed  the  truth  to  Mohammed, 
and  he  to  his  followers,  and  we  have  it  from 
them  ;  and  as  the  sun  is  bright,  the  moon  is 
blessed,  and  the  stars  are  the  work  of  Allah, 
so  is  the  Koran  His  word,  and  the  Prophet  His 
messenger,  and  Jannat  al  Nairn  the  paradise 
of  the  faithful,  andjehennam  one  of  the  seven 
divisions  of  hell  wherein  the  wicked  curse  the 
day  of  their  birth,"  affirmed  Yezed  emphati 
cally,  and  stormed  Othman's  ear  by  a  rhap 
sody  on  the  blessedness  of  the  prophet's  para 
dise. 

"  Those  who  shall  pass  the  bridge  al  Sirat, — 
a  span  thrown  over  the  midst  of  hell,  finer  than 
a  hair  and  sharper  than  the  edge  of  a  razor, 
beset  on  each  side  with  briars  and  hooked 
thorns, — will,  refreshed  from  the  cistern  of 
Mohammed,  enter  the  abode  of  bliss  never  to 

22 


338  &l)e  tt)dr&  (Drieni. 

leave  it  again.  Jannat  al  Nairn  is  under  the 
throne  of  God  ;  its  earth  is  as  fine  as  wheat 
flour,  as  odoriferous  as  musk,  and  shines  like 
saffron ;  its  stones  are  pearls  and  jacinths ;  the 
walls  of  its  dwellings  are  of  gold,  as  also  are 
the  trees, — all  of  gold,  one  of  which,  called 
Tuba,  blooms  in  the  palace  of  Mohammed, 
with  a  branch  reaching  to  the  habitation  of 
every  true  believer.  Tuba  is  full  to  repletion 
with  dates,  grapes,  and  a  great  variety  of  other 
fruits  of  enormous  size,  having  the  taste  of  any 
thing  the  blessed  who  eat  may  wish  to  enjoy. 
Silken  garments,  magnificent  horses  ready 
bridled  and  caparisoned  to  ride  upon,  are 
there,  bursting  from  the  fruits  of  that  pregnant 
tree,  which  is  so  prodigious  that  the  fleetest 
racer  could  not  pass  the  entire  length  of  its 
shade  in  a  hundred  years.  From  the  roots  of 
Tuba  spring  all  the  rivers  and  springs  of  par 
adise, — water,  wine,  milk  and  honey  afford 
ing  variety.  Seventy-two  immortal  virgins  of 
ravishing  loveliness  and  free  from  mortal  im 
purities  will  receive  each  faithful  in  a  tent  of 
pearls,  jacinths,  and  emeralds ;  eighty  thousand 
servants  will  await  his  orders  ;  each  meal  will 


QDrient.  339 

be  served  in  dishes  of  gold  by  three  hundred 
attendants,  each  one  offering  a  different  dish, 
and  the  last  morsel  being  as  palatable  as  the 
first.  Robed  in  garments  of  silk  and  brocade, 
and  crowned  with  diadems  of  priceless  jewels, 
the  Elect  will  rejoice  in  the  company  of  those 
black-eyed  paradisial  maidens  called  houris,  on 
couches  interwoven  with  golden  threads  stand 
ing  on  silken  rugs  and  set  with  precious  stones. 
Israfil,  the  greatest  musician  of  the  universe, 
will  lead  a  chorus  of  those  houris  for  the  en- 
ravishment  of  the  faithful,  and  the  trees  will 
make  their  heavenly  bells,  of  which  they  are 
full,  ring  in  response  to  a  sweet  breeze  wafted 
from  Allah's  throne.  What,  then,  do  all  joys 
here  below  amount  to  ?"* 

Othman's  eyes  were  riveted  on  the  counte 
nance  of  the  enthusiastic  youth,  but  his  mien 
betrayed  not  the  displeasure  of  his  faithless 
heart.  What  could  he  expect  of  a  lad  who 
raved  of  fables  meant  for  fools  ?  How  divulge 
to  him  the  secret,  which  would  in  an  instant 
shatter  all  his  air  castles  ?  And  how  will  it 
impress  him  ? 

*  C/.  the  Koran  (Surahs  13,  47  and  55). 


340  ®l)e  toeirft  QDrient. 

"Answer  me,  son,  art  thou  a  coward?" 
asked  the  brigand,  in  a  changed  voice.  "By 
my  troth,  thou  speakest  like  a  woman,  yet 
art  thou  sired  by  a  man  who  defies  Eblis." 

"What  Mohammed  taught  me  and  his 
imams  that  I  speak  of,  father ;  Yezed  is  a 
woman's  child,  but  no  woman ;  nor  am  I  a 
coward.  Set  me  a  task,  however  hazardous, 
it  shall  be  done,"  returned  the  youth,  in  a 
tone  of  challenge. 

"That  is  my  son's  true  self,"  resumed 
Othman,  pleased  with  Yezed's  outburst  of 
manly  temper.  "There  is  a  task  for  thee  to 
do  this  coming  night,  and  it  is  not  one  for  a 
craven  to  meddle  with.  Son,  this  world  is 
made  up  of  masters  and  of  slaves ;  the  few 
command,  the  multitudes  obey.  That  Yezed 
take  rank  among  the  masters  is  his  father's 
wish  ;  wilt  thou  be  guided  by  his  advice  ?" 

"Whatever  Othman  Ibn  Saad  tells  his 
Yezed  to  do,  that  he  will  do,"  replied  Yezed. 

"Will  he  face  danger  without  shrinking?" 
was  the  searching  question  of  the  father. 

"If  the  deed  is  in  accord  with  Moslem 
duty,"  returned  the  son. 


todrd  dDricnt.  341 


"Is  there  any  wrong  in  slaying  those  who 
hate  us,  —  those  we  hate,  —  those  Mohammed 
hated  ?"  continued  Othman,  insinuatingly. 

"No;  whomever  the  Prophet  hated  no 
Mussulman  can  love.  Yes,  it  was  his  will 
that  infidels  be  converted  by  the  sword,  if  it 
must  be.  To  shed  blood  is  fearful,  however, 
except  it  be  he  whose  flesh  ought  to  be  torn 
by  the  fiends  and  bitten  by  the  serpents  of  al 
Hawiyat,  there  being  no  deeper  place  in  hell. 
Yes,  him  I  would  this  moment  stab  to  the 
heart,  and  cast  his  carcass  to  the  dogs,"  cried 
Yezed,  in  a  voice  which  boded  no  good  for  the 
object  of  his  detestation. 

"And  who  is  he  thou  art  speaking  of,"  in 
quired  the  father,  delighted  with  the  anger 
of  his  righteous  offspring.  "He  must  be  in 
deed  wicked  whom  Yezed  hates." 

"I  am  speaking  of  him  whose  black  deeds 
are  matched  by  his  black  name,  Eblis,  the 
highway  murderer  of  men  and  women,  ripe 
for  Monkir's  club,  and  eternal  perdition," 
asseverated  Yezed,  with  flashing  eyes  and 
clenched  fists. 

In  speechless  consternation  the  eyes  of  the 


342  ®lK      eirb  ODrient. 

older  rested  on  the  younger  man.  He,  who 
had  ruthlessly  driven  cold  steel  through  the 
heart  of  many  a  victim,  felt  a  chill  of  horror 
run  through  his  veins  at  the  deathful  hatred 
he  had  thus  engendered  in  the  unsuspicious 
soul  of  his  own  child.  Othman  twisted  the 
head  of  El  Barak  toward  the  last  glow  of  the 
western  heaven,  looked  thither  for  a  moment, 
as  though  lost  in  wonder,  then,  turning  round 
all  composed,  said  in  an  undertone:  "Why, 
Yezed,  that  is  the  very  man  we  are  to  inter 
cept  this  night.  A  great  price  has  been  set 
on  his  head,  and  my  information  makes  it 
certain  that  we  will  be  in  a  position  to  waylay 
him,  if  we  use  our  time  and  arms  well.  This 
is  the  task  I  referred  to.  Is  Yezed  prepared 
to  share  his  father's  daring  exploit  ?" 

"Yezed  will  follow  whithersoever  his  father 
leads  him,  and  face  death  in  the  name  of 
Allah;  there  is  no  craven  blood  in  Othman's 
faithful  son,"  answered  the  youth. 

"Thou  art  the  lion's  whelp,"  closed  Oth 
man,  and  spurred  his  horse  to  ascend  a  gorge 
which  in  the  rainy  season  gives  passage  to  a 
mountain  torrent  down  to  the  dead  water,  but 


tXkirb  (Drient.  343 

which  was  perfectly  dry  now.  The  path  fol 
lowed  by  El  Barak  with  ease  was  narrow,  steep 
and  neck-breaking,  a  yawning  gulf  suggesting 
dreadful  possibilities  to  the  right,  while  to  the 
left  rose  masses  of  blackened  rock,  overshad 
owing  the  horsemen  by  hanging  projections 
which  threatened  to  fall  with  terrific  effect. 

After  a  ride  of  about  an  hour  through  deep 
ening  twilight,  Othman  turned  into  a  narrow 
break  of  the  mountain,  shot  out  of  his  saddle, 
bade  his  horse  wait,  and  told  Yedez  to  do  as 
he  did.  The  youth  obeyed  without  a  word, 
and  followed  his  father  who,  nimble  as  a  cat, 
began  to  climb  up  an  almost  perpendicular 
wall  to  a  considerable  height,  and  slipped  into 
a  hole  scarcely  big  enough  for  an  average 
human  body  to  pass  through  without  difficulty. 
Once  within,  Othman  put  his  head  out  to  en 
courage  Yezed  who,  unfamiliar  with  the  foot 
holds  so  well  known  to  his  guide,  despaired  of 
performing  a  feat  perilous  even  for  an  acrobat 
to  attempt.  Down  came  the  end  of  a  rope 
for  Yezed  to  take  hold  of.  It  was  dense  night 
when  the  form  of  the  lad  disappeared  in  the 
interior  of  the  rocky  nest. 


344  ®1)*  ttleirb  QDrient. 

There  was  already  a  light,  and  Yezed  was 
struck  with  wonder  at  the  spacious  hollow 
before  him.  High  and  dry  and  clean,  it  was 
irregular  in  shape,  sloping  down  toward  a  nar 
rowing  deep  which  startled  the  imagination  of 
the  youth.  Who  could  tell  the  mystery  of 
that  black  pit  which  seemed  to  breathe  like 
the  mouth  of  a  sleeping  giant  ?  Yes,  a  gentle 
breeze  proceeded  from  the  mountain's  heart, 
saturated  with  a  something  that  made  Yezed 
feel  uneasy. 

Other  surprises  diverted  Yezed's  attention. 
What  looked  like  a  niche  a  few  feet  above 
their  heads,  was  soon  reached  by  stepping  on 
a  loose  bowlder,  and  the  young  man's  won 
derment  was  not  small  to  see  in  the  light  of  a 
lantern  in  his  father's  hand,  a  wardrobe  of 
various  costumes,  masks,  bearded  and  un 
bearded,  jack-boots,  many  uniforms,  and  a 
regular  armory  of  weapons  and  ammunition. 
That  was  not  all.  Several  leather  bags  were 
brought  to  light  from  under  a  tiger  skin,  and 
Yezed's  eyes  dilated  at  the  precious  contents 
of  each  and  all,  as  Othman  opened  them  as  a 
surprise  for  his  true-hearted  offspring.  Costly 


dDrient.  345 

watches,  costlier  jewels,  rings,  bracelets, 
necklaces,  strings  of  pearls,  taken  from  mur 
dered  women  ;  breastpins  of  every  descrip 
tion,  gold  and  silver  money,  made  up  a  treasure 
to  feed  the  avarice  of  a  nabob.  "  If  Yezed 
asks  whose  is  all  this  ?  I  will  answer  it  is  all 
Yezed's,"  said  huskily  the  brigand. 

He  scarcely  breathed  the  few  words  when 
a  puff  from  the  black  hole  put  out  the  light, 
followed  by  a  moan,  a  deep  sigh  and  a  light 
rumbling.  Othman  held  his  breath.  Yezed 
heard  nothing  more,  but  his  pulse  throbbed 
nervously.  What  could  he  say  ?  He  had 
portentous  feelings  but  no  thoughts ;  it  all 
seemed  like  a  dream. 

The  light  was  again  burning.  "It  is  all 
right,"  said  Othman,  reassured,  and  nothing 
further  happened  to  confirm  his  suspicion  that 
something  had  been  astir  in  the  unexplored 
deep.  "The  one  who  shall  attempt  to  get 
the  fruit  of  my  life  must  have  the  nerve  to 
perish  in  the  attempt.  Now,  to  business, 
Yezed.  Here  are  this  suit  and  mask  for  thee, 
and  this  thy  armor.  My  panoply  is  here; 
don't  be  disturbed ;  the  devil  must  match  the 


346  ©Ije  toeirfc  (Orient. 

devil.  Hurry,  the  minutes  count;  the  game 
will  not  wait  for  us."  Saying  this,  Othman 
amazed  his  son  by  transforming  himself  into 
the  blackest  demon  the  youth  had  ever 
dreamt  of  in  fancy.  The  veritable  Eblis 
could  not  look  more  deterring  than  the  des 
perado  in  his  black  mask  with  red  eyes,  red 
mouth,  long,  hooked  nose,  a  pointed  beard, 
pointed  shoes  and  tight  leg  coverings  in  one 
garment,  a  coat  ending  in  a  cow's  tail,  black 
gloves  which  doubled  the  length  of  his  fingers, 
and  a  red  spear  with  many  points  completed 
the  equipment. 

"Thou  art  too  slow,  son,  for  an  expedition 
which  requires  haste  not  less  than  courage," 
said  the  robber,  and  actually  pushed  the  youth 
into  a  strange  garb,  adjusted  his  mask,  and 
threw  a  belt  with  pistols  around  his  waist. 
"  Ready  !"  was  the  signal,  and  Othman  burst 
forth  from  the  wall  like  a  bomb  from  the 
mouth  of  a  gun  fired  from  the  embrasure  of  a 
fort.  Yezed  would  not  stay  behind  and  found 
it  much  easier  to  get  down  than  up  the  steep. 

Othman  was  now  the  real  Eblis  and  his  im 
petuosity  seemed  to  wing  El  Barak.  Fear  and 


ttJeird  Orient.  347 


pride  spurred  Yezed  to  keep  pace  with  his 
father.  It  was  one  of  those  nights  when  the 
moon  is  late  in  rising,  and  the  outlines  of  the 
robber  as  a  devil  astride  of  a  fiery  courser 
filled  his  child  with  horror.  Through  night 
and  desolation  they  sped  onward,  the  father 
leading,  the  son  close  behind,  with  not  a  sound 
to  vary  the  awful  monotony.  They  had  cov 
ered  several  miles  when  Othman's  experi 
enced  ear  informed  him  that  his  game  was 
near  at  hand.  He  discerned  the  petrified 
figure  of  Lot's  wife,  a  pillar  of  salt  forty  feet 
high,  and  distinctly  heard  the  tramp  of  the 
approaching  travellers. 

"Thy  first  chance,  Yezed,  to  show  thyself 
a  hero  or  a  dastard.  Here  we  leave  our 
horses  ;  thou  wilt  plant  thyself  in  the  way  of 
the  beasts  ;  I  will  strike  like  thunder  ;  if  it 
prove  too  much  for  me,  stab  and  fire  ;  if  I  hold 
to,  fight;  if  I  give  it  up,  run.  I  fall  on  them 
with  the  cry  of  Eblis  !  Having  finished  them, 
our  horses  will  carry  us  home  before  the  moon 
is  out,"  whispered  the  bandit,  thrilling  with 
excitement. 

For  the  first  time  in  his  experience  did  Yezed 


348 

eel  the  fighting  lust  of  his  sire  who  was  burn 
ing  for  the  deadly  encounter.  If  they  suc 
ceeded  in  capturing  or  slaying  the  scourge  of 
the  Jordan's  plain,  their  names  would  be  on 
everybody's  lips,  including  the  Caliph  of 
Estamboul.  A  lantern  in  the  hand  of  a  horse 
man  afforded  a  clear  view  of  the  travelling 
company,  made  up  of  an  armed  escort  of  two 
civilians,  having  between  them  a  foreigner  on 
horseback,  accompanied  by  an  armed  servant. 
With  a  yell  that  made  the  air  shudder,  Oth- 
man  fell  on  the  group,  unhorsing  one  and 
striking  the  other  with  the  ferocity  of  a  savage 
brute.  But  the  brigand  was  caught  in  a 
snare  laid  for  his  ruin.  It  was  the  Chief  of 
Kerak  who  had  conceived  the  idea  of  entrap 
ping  "  Eblis  "  by  spreading  the  rumor  of  the 
impending  arrival  of  a  travelling  company  in 
the  quarter  where  they  had  good  reasons  to 
expect  his  attack.  Three  athletic  Arabs  stood 
by  their  Chief,  but  Othman  was  not  a  bird  to 
be  caught  and  carried  off.  His  red  spear  held 
them  at  bay,  but  it  was  not  possible  for  him 
to  escape.  He  fired,  was  fired  at,  bled  from 
many  wounds,  but  fought  like  a  wounded 


QLl)e  tDeirfc  Orient.  349 

bear,  the  Arabs  closing  around  him.  "Give 
it  to  them,"  he  cried  in  desperation.  In 
answer  several  shots  struck  the  struggling 
group  from  a  distance.  Three  of  the  five  fell 
never  to  rise  ;  Othman  was  one  of  the  three, 
stretched  lifeless  by  a  bullet  from  the  weapon 
of  his  Yezed.  The  son  had  killed  his  father, 
and  realizing  the  nature  of  the  tragedy  and  the 
peril  of  his  situation,  he  made  a  rush  for  his 
horse,  and  vanished  in  the  darkness  of  night, 
with  none  to  give  him  chase. 

Whither  flee  ?  In  his  present  apparel  he 
durst  not  seek  his  home,  even  if  he  had  better 
news  to  bring  than  the  slaughter  of  his  father 
by  his  own  hand.  To  get  his  clothing  he  must 
retrace  his  way  to  that  frightful  hole  in  the 
rock  which  he  had  gladly  left  in  the  earlier 
hour  of  the  night.  He  dreaded  the  thought  of 
it,  but  it  had  to  be ;  the  problem  being  how  to 
find  the  way  thither  ? 

It  was  fortunate  for  Yezed  that,  in  his  pre 
cipitous  flight,  he  had  mounted  El  Barak  in 
mistake  for  his  own  horse,  and  the  sagacious 
animal  carried  him  instinctively  to  the  right 
spot,  halting  beneath  the  entrance  of  the  hoi- 


3 so  QLtyt  todr&  (DrinU. 

low  to  which  his  dead  master  had  ascended 
so  often,  especially  after  successful  robberies. 
"  Allah  akbar,"  sighed  poor  Yezed,  as  he  got 
out  of  his  saddle  and  prepared  to  reach  the 
black  nest.  There  was  the  rope  inviting  him 
to  ascend.  It  was  a  horrible  nightmare.  So 
much  had  happened  in  a  few  short  hours ! 
Could  anything  worse  befall  him  ?  Come 
what  might,  that  hollow  must  be  entered.  He 
drew  himself  up,  entered  the  cave,  struck  a 
light,  threw  off  his  disguise,  put  on  his  plain 
garments,  fell  on  his  face  and  wept  bitterly. 
The  pelf  and  the  jewels  will  they  revive  his 
father  who  had  fallen  by  his  hand  ? — The  pelf 
and  the  jewels — horrid  thought !  It  flashed 
upon  his  mind  like  an  inspiration.  —  Great 
Allah  !  Eblis — his  father  was  himself  that  ter 
rible  impersonation, — a  murderer !  How  could 
he  doubt  it  ?  Did  not  everything  point  to  the 
reality  of  that  fact  ?  "  Allah  akbar.  Yezed 
is  the  most  miserable  of  sons,"  murmured  the 
unhappy  youth. 

But  hark  !  Yes,  there  was  a  sigh, — and  an 
other, — and  a  groan,  and  now  a  hoot, — and  then 
a  howl  ascending  from  that  unfathomed  black 


tXJeirfc  QDrient.  351 

mouth  of  the  hollow,  which  stared  at  him 
like  the  vicious  eye  of  a  Cyclops.  The  blood 
froze  in  his  veins.  Once  more  a  puff  of 
wind,  as  of  a  whiff  from  a  monstrous  gullet, 
left  him  in  rayless  darkness.  But  more  ap 
palling  than  the  dense  obscurity  was  the  faint 
glimmer  of  a  hazy  shimmer  which  stole  up 
from  the  deep,  a  phosphorescent  illumining  of 
the  sepulchral  gloom,  just  bright  enough  to 
make  the  shades  visible.  Terror  drove  Yezed 
to  the  verge  of  madness.  Might  not  at  any 
moment  some  apparition  break  out  upon  him 
through  that  animated  gap  ?  Seizing  a  loaded 
gun  near  by,  Yezed  emptied  its  contents  into 
the  outlet.  The  instantaneous  response  was 
a  terrific  burst  of  the  mountain,  which  sent 
Yezed  wheeling  through  the  air  with  fragments 
of  rock  as  great  as  pyramids.  That  he  was 
not  crushed  was  not  so  much  a  wonder  as  that 
he  landed  on  top  of  a  mountainous  pile  unhurt. 
New  events  threw  previous  happenings  into 
the  shade. 

By  this  time  it  took  a  great  deal  to  astonish 
Yezed,  but  his  position  of  vantage  placed  un 
der  his  survey  a  somewhat  dim  panorama, 


352  ®l)e  tDeirfc  (Orient. 

more  beautiful  than  anything  he  had  ever 
hoped  to  see  this  side  of  Jannat  al  'Nairn. 
Through  the  shifting  mists  of  an  uncertain 
gloom  the  eye  swept  over  a  plain  of  tropic 
luxuriance  on  the  shore  of  a  lake  as  placid  and 
limpid  as  the  purest  azure.  As  though  ignited 
by  a  flash  of  lightning,  sprang  a  blaze  from 
lamps  without  number,  giving  distinctness  to 
rich  and  noble  forms  of  vegetation,  studded 
here  and  there  by  fruit-bearing  trees  thick 
with  blossom,  or  loaded  with  those  Hesperian 
apples  which  rival  sunshine  in  glow.  From 
the  shades  of  a  majestic  grove  flowed  the  in 
effable  notes  of  the  bulbul.  Fragrant  bowers 
stood  decked  with  the  vine's  exuberant  foliage 
and  cumbered  with  the  clusters  that  produce 
the  golden  juice.  Sparkling  fountains  played 
in  the  light  of  the  mystic  illumination.  A  lofty 
arcade,  mocking  the  rainbow  by  a  myriad 
multicolored  lights,  glowed  like  a  curved  hori 
zon,  covering  a  great  stretch  of  green  meadow, 
and  making  day  for  the  fish,  which  swarmed  in 
the  transparent  water.  Underneath  the  arcaded 
bow  was  room  enough  for  armies  to  pass  each 
other,  or  to  parade  in  military  array. 


toeirft  (Drient.  353 


Indeed  the  cymbal,  fife  and  timbrel  were 
heard,  and  a  vast  multitude  of  a  strange  race 
overflowed  the  entire  plain,  moving  toward 
the  arcade  as  the  centre  of  attraction.  It  was 
a  half-naked  mass  of  brutified  humanity,  wild 
and  salacious,  the  sexes  intermingling  with 
revolting  indecency.  At  their  head  strode  a 
ferocious  biped,  his  hair  long,  straight  and 
matted,  his  eyes  bloodshot,  his  visage 
tattooed,  his  lips  dyed,  —  chin,  teeth  and  cheek 
bones  of  the  gorilla,  and  limbs  sinewy  like  the 
buffalo's.  In  his  grasp  swayed  a  huge  club  ; 
his  breast  was  covered  by  a  shield,  his  shins 
by  plates  of  bronze,  and  he  remained  no 
secret  to  Yezed  the  moment  his  beastly  cry 
was  heard. 

"Hear  Nimrod  the  Huntsman  speak,  chil 
dren  of  Sodom  !  The  mighty  sons  of  Anak 
and  those  of  the  Rephaim,  the  sky-born,  are 
coming  to  help  us  build  the  tower  yonder  in 
defiance  of  Him  who  has  drowned  our  sires 
because  of  their  having  lived  as  we  do,  and 
because  of  their  refusing  to  worship  Him  as 
thralls.  We  shall  build  higher  than  His  moun 
tains,  and  then  scorn  His  rage.  Yes,  we  shall 
23 


354  &b*  to*ir&  Orient, 

climb  above  His  clouds,  laugh  at  His  floods, 
and  storm  His  heaven.  Who  is  He  to  be 
feared  ?  He  seized  the  power,  the  winds  and 
the  thunderbolt,  and  treats  beings  like  Himself 
with  cruel  outrage." 

The  dehumanized  masses  yelled,  leaped, 
made  horrid  faces,  distorted  their  bodies,  swore 
blasphemously,  and  supplemented  their  blas 
phemies  by  such  abominable  excesses  as 
caused  Yezed  to  turn  away  his  eyes  in  dis 
gust.  Bestial  females  rivaled  with  one  an 
other  in  winning  their  male  brutes  by  intoxi 
cating  drinks,  which  they  made  them  swallow 
in  great  quantities,  drinking  themselves  until 
they  reeled  with  inebriation.  Wild  dancing 
and  lewd  gesticulations  were  the  prelude  to 
the  indulgence  of  nameless  vices,  and  this 
was  the  opening  of  a  Saturnalia  of  lust  and 
riot. 

"The  Anakim,  the  Rephaim,  make  room 
for  the  heroes  !"  thundered  Nimrod  the  Hunts 
man.  Hereupon  the  Sodomites  divided  into 
two  parallel  lines,  leaving  a  road  free  to  the 
triumphal  arcade,  which  burned  like  a  vault 
of  fire.  Issuing  from  a  shaded  avenue,  an 


(Orient.  355 

army  of  hideous  giants,  swollen  with  vanity 
and  bristling  with  arms  of  every  description, 
advanced  in  two  separate  columns  toward  the 
blazing  arcade  where  they  were  to  be  received 
and  regaled.  Their  powerful  chests  were 
shielded  by  plates  of  bronze  ;  so  were  their 
knees  and  down  the  shins.  They  wore  hides 
of  beasts,  the  chief  one  a  lion's  skin.  As  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  immense  vault  their  chief 
caused  them  to  break  up  and  pass  through  a 
series  of  evolutions  to  the  vociferous  acclaim 
of  the  drunken  multitude.  Nimrod  was  at 
hand  to  extend  Sodom's  welcome  to  the  war 
riors. 

"  Thou  mighty  leader  of  the  invincible  sons 
of  giants,  who  durst  storm  heaven  to  dethrone 
Him  who  revels  in  outrage,  we  welcome  thee 
and  thine,  we,  the  Sodomites,  who  welcome 
none,  except  it  be  to  mutilate  or  slay  the  fools 
who  trust  our  honor.  For  know,  O  chief, 
that  in  our  midst  the  stranger  gets  stones  to 
feed  his  hunger,  mud  to  quench  his  thirst,  and 
a  bed  to  sleep  on,  which  must  fit  his  length; 
if  he  be  too  long  we  cut  his  limbs  ;  if  he  be 
too  short  we  stretch  them  to  suit  our  measure. 


356  Stye  tDeirb  ODrient. 

Force  is  our  law,  valor  our  God,  plunder  our 
business,  and  license  our  pleasure.  What  He 
above  loves  we  hate,  and  what  He  hates  we 
love.  We  injure  the  innocent,  respect  no 
woman's  virtue,  roast  the  brute  alive  that  He 
may  fume  and  fret,  who  is  our  common  foe, 
our  tyrant.  That  you  might  join  us  in  the 
work  of  raising  that  tower  to  a  height  far 
above  His  clouds  we  called  you  hither.  Let 
Him  send  another  deluge  to  drown  us, — we 
shall  defy  His  hereafter  as  we  did  hitherto, 
and  make  His  clouds  break  against  the  top  of 
that  pile.  But  whatever  work  be  ours  to  do, 
let  this  hour  be  given  to  feasting  and  pleasure, 
drinking,  dancing  and  loving." 

What  Yezed  heard  next  was  a  myriad 
shriek  of  terror.  As  if  the  lake  had  been  a 
caldron  of  oil,  its  volume  rose  in  a  tremendous 
flame,  heaving  toward  the  clouds,  and  in  its 
conflagration  the  shores  were  soon  involved. 
A  general  upheaval  of  rock,  brought  about  by 
an  impelling  force  from  below,  in  its  recoil 
dropped  the  bed  of  the  lake  deep  under  its 
shores,  creating  a  gulf  buried  in  fire.  Streams 
of  the  consuming  element  shot  up  from  a  nun- 


QDrient.  357 


dred  cracks,  crevices  and  chasms  opened  by 
the  disturbance,  wiping  out  whatever  had  life 
and  breath.  Swallowed  by  the  fiery  billows 
were  the  licentious  revellers,  no  vestige  re 
maining  to  tell  of  the  illumined  Eden,  which 
but  a  few  minutes  before  had  been  a  scene  of 
unspeakable  depravity.  The  whole  dissolved 
itself  into  a  black  smoke,  pregnant  with  death- 
ful  odors,  like  the  fetid  exhalation  that  hung 
over  the  catastrophe  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 
Yezed  alone  escaped,  and  his  trembling  heart 
recognized  Allah's  justice  and  mercy.  On 
every  side  sulphurous  damps,  thick  night  and 
the  silence  of  death  enclosed  him. 

Where  was  he  ?  How  shall  he  ever  get 
down  from  the  towering  pile  upon  which  he 
had  been  dropped  by  some  mysterious  power  ? 
What  will  there  be  around  him  when  day  shall 
rise  on  the  devastation  ?  Ah,  —  if  it  all  were 
but  a  nightmare,  including  his  father's  death 
in  the  guise  of  the  devil  ?  But  the  night 
seemed  endless,  as  though  day  would  never 
come  again,  and  the  position  was  one  of  hor 
rid  suspense  and  miserable  discomfort.  To 
cap  the  climax  of  Yezed's  unparalleled  mis- 


358  &!)*      cirfc  (JDrient. 

haps,  there  soared  before  him  the  bleeding 
figure  of  his  father  in  the  attire  of  Eblis,  just 
as  he  had  seen  him  hurry  to  his  doom.  "Thy 
hands  are  clean,  O,  my  son  !  but  I  am  doomed 
to  swim  forever  in  a  pool  of  blood,  the  life- 
stream  of  the  hearts  I  pierced!"  came  wailing 
to  his  ears  upon  the  passing  breeze  as  the  ap 
parition  faded  from  his  vision,  chilling  the  boy 
to  the  centre  of  his  being. 

Yezed  attempted  to  speak,  but  found  his 
tongue  paralyzed  ;  he  tried  to  express  himself 
by  signs,  but  his  arms  and  fingers  were  lame. 
Gathering  all  his  strength,  he  threw  his  frame 
in  the  direction  in  which  he  had  seen  Othman 
depart,  and  he  struck  his  head  against  a  stone. 
How  did  the  stone  come  here  ?  There  had 
been  nothing  there  before.  Yezed  rose  to  his 
feet ;  there  was  no  smoke  to  be  seen.  He 
thrust  out  his  arms  sideways  and  struck 
against  a  wall.  There  was  no  wall  before. 
"Allah,  great  Allah,  is  not  this  the  hollow 
where  I  changed  my  clothing !"  So  it  was. 
Why  not  make  a  light  ?  It  was  made,  and, 
lo  !  there  was  the  sequestered  nest,  there  the 
armory  and  the  singular  wardrobe,  there  the 


(fttye  CDeirb  Orient.  359 

treasure  of  the  dead  brigand,  and  there  the 
fearful  black  hole  which  graciously  hid  those 
mysteries  he  had  witnessed.  Yezed  shook 
with  chill.  He  felt  that  it  was  the  dead  of 
night,  and  had  overwhelming  feelings  to  con 
trol.  What  remained  of  the  nightmare  as  an 
unescapable  reality  was  horrible  to  dwell  upon. 
Shall  he  ever  return  to  the  infernal  hollow 
again  ?  No,  never  !  never !  Why  stay  one 
second  longer  than  necessary  in  the  mouth 
of  hell  ?  Trembling  and  shivering,  Yezed 
crawled  out  of  the  accursed  cave,  lowered 
himself  to  the  ground,  found  the  noble  El 
Barak  awaiting  him  patiently,  threw  his  arms 
around  the  neck  of  the  faithful  brute  and 
lamented  bitterly.  The  horse  neighed  gently, 
as  though  he,  too,  understood  his  new  mas 
ter's  great  sorrow. 

Seated  in  the  saddle,  Yezed  allowed  the  in 
telligent  animal  to  take  its  own  course,  and 
was  shortly  before  daybreak  landed  before  his 
mother's  habitation.  There  was  weeping  and 
wailing  in  the  widowed  house.  Yezed  decided 
to  divulge  the  whole  truth  to  his  friendly  master, 
the  muezzin.  The  holy  man  shuddered  as  he 


360  ®tje  tUcird  (Drient. 

listened  to  his  pupil's  tale,  but  advised  secrecy, 
lest  widow  and  orphan  be  thrown  into  prison 
as  accessories  to  the  numerous  crimes  of  the 
guilty  Othman.  He  took  great  care,  however, 
to  inform  himself  about  the  location  of  the  in 
teresting  cave,  and  was  ere  long  in  a  position 
to  turn  his  back  upon  the  humble  villagers  of 
Engedi,  not  without  inducing  the  widow  and 
her  son  to  follow  him  to  a  happier  place. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

Tel.  No.  642-3405 

Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


MC'Bia    SiP    '(  ns9 


5  1979 


.IUN  2  8    W. 


General  Library 
Univen^glifornia 


M3140G8 


